The 2009 International Building Code covers all buildings except detached one and two family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in height. This comprehensive code features time-tested safety concepts, structural, and fire and life safety provisions covering means of egress, interior finish requirements, comprehensive roof provisions, seismic engineering provisions, innovative construction technology, occupancy classifications, and the latest industry standards in material design. It is founded on broad-based principles that make possible the use of new materials and new building designs.

The 2009 edition of International Building Code (IBC) will better protect occupants of tall buildings, contains new provisions for ambulatory health care facilities and provides guidelines for constructing storm shelters.

New to the 2009 International Building Code:

• Includes new requirements for storm shelters, based upon the new ICC/NSSA Standard, ICC 500-2008.
• Contains provisions for fire service access elevators and emergency evacuation elevators in high rises more than 120 feet in height.
• Establishes standards for Live/Work units.
• New, simplified Alternate All-heights Method for wind design based on and in compliance with the ASCE 7 Analytical Procedure (Method 2).
• Requires an additional stairway in high rises more than 420 feet in height unless the building includes special elevators that can be used for emergency evacuation.
• An option to allow emergency evacuation elevators for building occupants.
• Requirements for more robust fire proofing for buildings greater than 75 feet tall.
• Requires improved structural and fire resistance standards for high-rises over 420 feet in height.
• Allows "open mall" complexes to be considered under covered mall standards.
• Established the "Ambulatory Health Care Center" category to enhance occupant safety at day surgery centers.
• Allows Bed and Breakfast establishments with up to 10 transient visitors to meet standards for R-3 Occupancy rather than R-1 Occupancy.
• Removed the special inspection exemption for Group R-3 Occupancies and clarified the requirements pertaining to special inspector qualifications.
• The prescriptive use of wood structural panels in lieu of impact-resistant glazing or impact resistant covering is now limited only to buildings of Group R-3 or R-4 Occupancy.
• The exception in IBC Section 1707.3 for special inspection of wood light frame construction where the fastener spacing of the sheathing is more than 4 inches on center also applies to cold-formed steel light frame construction.

Bonus CD included! This CD contains helpful resources such as excerpts from code references, historical background on code changes, informative articles from ICC's Building Safety Journal, Internet links to many useful tools, and much more.

Please note that detached one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwellings, such as townhouses, not more than three stories above grade plane in height with a separate means of egress and their accessory structures are regulated under the provisions of the 2009 International Residential Code, which is available separately.

For Earthquake Spectral Response Acceleration Maps that will assist you with the Building and Residential Codes click here. Prepared in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey, Building Seismic Safety Council, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and E.V. Leyendecker, A.D. Frankel, and K.S. Rukstales of the U.S. Geological Survey.

This code is also available in looseleaf, spiralbound, or as part of the Complete Collection. It is also available on CD-ROM in either PDF or Folio versions.

Commentaries and handbooks, study guides, extended indexes and tabs are also available for the 2009 International Codes.

To view the complete Table of Contents for the 2009 International Building Code, click here .