02-05-2012, 11:30 AM
Chicago was in the forefront of building codes BECAUSE of the devastation of the great fire, & the populace was requesting (demanding) it... not because anyone believed that the code itself would make everything all better... Codes do set a community standard, one that the community does set (believe it or not, most everyone here does have the choice & chance voice their concerns for things like the building code to people we VOTE into office....) Very few municipalities vote in a building code carte blanc... those changes they make are ones that community members have had a voice in, if your voice was not taken into consideration... then it is up to you....
When I worked for UL, it was amazing how certain municipalities passed building code upgrades & more stringent regulations AFTER a major incident happened within their jurisdiction...
in the end, you can only do what you can do... but to use the house of cards as any example of acceptable, good, or 'best anyone could build for their money' building is not something I think would be at the top of anyones list ... but some posters here must think that it is...
If you do not like the codes, voice your concerns, but have well researched, documented reasons to back up your concerns....and it really helps to have a number of other well reasoned members of the community backing you.... a well researched & reasoned argument that is backed documentation & by the community at large.... believe it or not, that works for most of the people, even in our local government.
When I worked for UL, it was amazing how certain municipalities passed building code upgrades & more stringent regulations AFTER a major incident happened within their jurisdiction...
in the end, you can only do what you can do... but to use the house of cards as any example of acceptable, good, or 'best anyone could build for their money' building is not something I think would be at the top of anyones list ... but some posters here must think that it is...
If you do not like the codes, voice your concerns, but have well researched, documented reasons to back up your concerns....and it really helps to have a number of other well reasoned members of the community backing you.... a well researched & reasoned argument that is backed documentation & by the community at large.... believe it or not, that works for most of the people, even in our local government.