Building Codes and Barrier-Free Design 261
11.4 STANDARD WRITING ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS.
There are numerous organizations involved in writing and maintaining standards. The vast majority are
developed by trade associations, government agencies, or standards-writing organizations. Likewise,
there is a long-standing relationship between construction codes and standards that address design, in-
stallation, testing, and materials related to the building industry. The pivotal role standards play in the
building regulatory process is that they represent an extension of the code requirements and are there-
fore equally enforceable.
However, standards only have legal standing when stipulated by a particular code that is accepted
by a jurisdiction. Building standards function as a valuable design guideline to architects while establish-
ing a framework of acceptable practices from which many codes are later taken. When a standard is stip-
ulated, an acronym formed from the standard organization and a standard number is called out. The
most important and relevant of these organizations for building owners and consultants are:
- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approves standards as American National
Standards and provides information and access to the world’s standards. It is also the official
U.S. representative to the world’s leading standards bodies, including, the International Organ-
ization for Standardization (ISO). It provides and administers the only recognized system in the
United States for establishing standards. - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an in-
ternational organization whose sole purpose is to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ven-
tilation, air conditioning and refrigeration for the public’s benefit. ASHRAE’s stated mission is to
write, “standards and guidelines in its fields of expertise to guide industry in the delivery of goods
and services to the public.” ASHRAE standards and guidelines include standard methods of
testing for rating purposes, outline and specify preferred procedures for designing and installing
equipment and provide other information to guide the industry. In addition, ASHRAE “sets de-
sign standards for occupant comfort, building commissioning, and specification of building au-
tomation control networks.” - ASTM International (previously known as American Society of Testing and Materials) is one of
the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world providing a global forum
for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products,
systems and services having internationally recognized quality and applicability. - National Standards Systems Network (NSSN) has as its primary mission to promulgate stan-
dards information to a broad constituency, and serves as a one-stop information repository. Its
stated goal is to become a leader in providing technical data and information regarding major
developments in a world wide standardization arena. - National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical,
and life-safety information to the public. - Underwriters Laboratory (UL) maintains and operates laboratories around the world for the test-
ing and examination of devices, systems, and materials to determine their properties and their
relation to life, fire, casualty hazards, and crime prevention.
Various federal agencies and departments collaborate with trade associations, private corporations,
and the general public to develop federal laws for building construction. Federal agencies also use rules