Synonyms
Building control; Building law
Definition
A building code is a set of rules or standards that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for buildings to secure life and property from all hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flood, fires, etc. to which the building maybe exposed.
Introduction
Natural hazards have potential to cause immense loss of life and property if buildings are not designed according to the standards specified in the code. This is demonstrated by recent disasters such as the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and 2001 Gujarat Earthquake in India. Moreover building codes ensure safe evacuation in the event of any emergency such as fire. The standards may apply not only to individual buildings but also to the planning of neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
Criteria for designing codes
Since various types of buildings have different vulnerabilities and capacities with respect to different hazards, such codes are designed according to the types of buildings. Building...
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Jigyasu, R. (2013). Building Code. In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_20
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_20
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