Building codes establish minimal requirements for the construction of structures. The codes are not legally binding in and of themselves. Instead, they serve as “models” for legal authorities to use when drafting statutes and regulations.
The major goal of building codes is to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare when it comes to the construction and use of buildings and structures.
When a building code is formally enacted by the proper governmental or private authority, it becomes legislation in that jurisdiction.
While codes cover the entire spectrum of a building, their main areas of focus include:
- Fire safety
- Proper egress
- Building materials
- Structural integrity
Every European country has a building regulatory framework that includes both building codes and building inspections. Building codes provide minimal standards to ensure that structures are safe, healthy, energy-efficient, and accessible to everyone who lives, works, or visits them. The goal of building control is to ensure that these basic requirements are followed and enforced.
The purpose of building codes is to increase the safety and integrity of structures, thereby reducing deaths, injuries and property damage. Statewide building rules protect the built environment, both residential and commercial, limit public and private disaster help, and keep jobs in local businesses and institutions that would otherwise close as a result of a natural or man-made disaster. Furthermore, building codes ensure that designers, builders, and suppliers all have a level and predictable playing field. They provide customers with a sense of security by assuring them that basic construction standards for a building’s safety and soundness exist.
Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation
The cost of energy is one of the largest running expenditures in a structure. Each building’s energy consumption profile is unique, although there are some typical trends:
- The largest electrical loads in most residential and commercial buildings are lighting, ventilation, and air conditioning. When it comes to total consumption, plug loads are also significant.
- The majority of fuel use is related to space heating and hot water. Commercial cooking equipment and healthcare steam systems are two examples of applications that have a significant need for fuel.
Water conservation can also help to save money on building maintenance while also improving energy efficiency. Pumping and heating expenditures can be reduced by conserving water.
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality has an impact on both comfort and health, but it is often overlooked in favor of energy efficiency. Both factors are addressed by a well-designed mechanical air ventilation system, which reduces energy costs while also minimizing the collection of air pollutants.
Lower Construction Cost
The number one benefit of following building codes is the ability to lower project costs, which is the objective of any job. There are a multitude of studies that prove how following codes ultimately surpass construction costs. That is because, simply stated, structures that are built with up-to-date codes will better resist potential threats such as natural disasters.
Adding to this, business and residential buildings account for more than 40% of all energy produced. Enforcing building codes is a low-cost, high-yielding means of minimizing our country’s overall footprint because of the huge amount of energy utilized.
As a result, implementing construction rules to create low-energy structures is a real way for your organization to contribute to reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Relaying the environmental benefits of code compliance, similar to the economic advantages outlined above, is another powerful talking point to add to your armory when gaining new business.
Risks of Ignoring Building Codes
Now that we’ve examined how adhering to building rules can help your business, let’s look at the penalties of not complying to them.
The fact is that every construction project will encounter at least a few unexpected challenges that will cause the project’s initial timeframe to be pushed back. As a construction professional, it’s critical to do everything you can from the start to proactively prevent and anticipate potential schedule disruptions. Ignoring local codes, on the other hand, is one approach to avoid this.
Rebuilds and Re-dos
It is more expensive to have to reconstruct, remodel, or call back one of your projects than it is to simply build your structure according to thorough codes from the start. You can limit the danger of rebuilds, redos, and callbacks by following codes and even enforcing more stringent ones.
We at MVIVO comply with a number of European as well as international building codes. Years of our experience constructing homes in Netherlands and Belgium has given us the upper hand when it comes to the quality, design, structural integrity, safety and most importantly your family’s health. We follow international building codes and standard from the beginning with structural design to the end with whole house ventilation, electrical cables, switches and even bathroom fittings.
Also we are proud to announce that we are the only company in Sri Lanka to build modern, luxury yet simple houses and offers a fixed price contract with clearly mentioned deadlines (6 – 9 months). Our homes are built keeping in mind high level of comfort, energy efficiency, safety and your health.