Last month, at the tail end of part three, I mentioned how EnviroSafe Plus, a Boron-based wood preservative treatment, is not listed with the International Code Council. As an alternative to ICC listing, the manufacturer of EnviroSafe Plus has sought independent recognition/approval for use of the product by appealing directly to local building code officials. This month, in part four of this on-going series about wood preservative treatments, we'll take a tangential look at this caveat, which is an integral part of most building codes and see how it works and is used to expedite green building products to the marketplace.
Supplemental to this is the fact that nearly all jurisdictions reserve the right to add to and/or amend the codes they adapt. Because of these code provisions, local building officials have the authority to approve alternative designs/materials/methods of construction. These provisions in almost all codes are meant to deal with specifically unaddressed materials, methods and systems in the code and are considered acceptable provided they meet the intent of the building code. These provisions have come to play an important role in the adaptation of many aspects of green design and construction.