International Code Council Partners With AWC, WoodWorks on Free Heights & Areas App

Leesburg, Virginia (Sept. 5, 2019)—The International Code Council has joined the American Wood Council (AWC) and WoodWorks in branding a free app that calculates the maximum allowable heights and areas for buildings of various occupancy classifications and types of construction. The Heights & Areas Calculator is based on provisions in the 2006 to 2015 editions of the International Building Code (IBC).

Users can input a given building geometry, site conditions (e.g., open frontage), type of construction and occupancy, and the app shows allowable types of construction that are permitted. The “basic” version of the calculator limits building input to a single occupancy and equal floor areas for the entire building. An “advanced” option permits multiple occupancies and different floor areas.

“Determining allowable heights and areas for building code compliance can often be a tedious and time-intensive task for code officials, designers and builders,” said Kenneth Bland, AWC vice president of codes and regulations. “AWC continuously works to make building with wood more accessible. This app streamlines the process to identify compliant types of construction.”

“Building safety is always at the core of what we do, and we’re proud to partner on a project that helps building safety professionals accurately and quickly understand the maximum allowable heights and areas in the IBC,” said Mark Johnson, executive vice president of the International Code Council.

“We often work with design teams that are exploring wood construction as a way to cost-effectively increase the density of their projects,” said Bill Parsons, vice president of operations for WoodWorks. “The new heights and areas app lets building designers quickly determine if they’re maximizing value based on the objectives of the project, and to compare the options available with different construction types.”

The Heights & Areas Calculator is available for free download via Android, iOS, and Windows platforms. For more information, visit awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software.