03-21-2012, 01:02 AM
@ Seeb, You are basically correct. The entrenched building material industries lobby hard to protect their interests and have been successful over the last century. This fact has made it more difficult for “alternative” building systems, such as I deal with, to penetrate the market place... but industry opposition is not the only obstacle. Public ignorance and a perception that “cheaper” means better value or a misperception that alternatives are more expensive have also been obstacles.
LEED, as promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) , has established itself as another obstacle to alternative building system development. USGBC & LEED have positioned themselves, amazingly, as a new expensive hurdle. USGBC appears to me to be a corporate front with an underlying goal of keeping the big players in control of the game.
Now despite all that the building codes are under revision for very valid reasons....the fact that the revisions are influenced by industry does not remove the validity of the need for improved codes. The international standards coming into place are a recognition by the world at large and our federal government of the impacts of climate change. Our codes have been a very low standard and have not been meeting the needs of society when tested by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and other forces of nature.
People think that the codes are focused on protecting them from themselves. Its not really that way. The codes are intended to protect the home buying public from incompetent or unethical builders be they owner/builders (which Puna has a lot of) or professional builders. It is assumed that every home built will be sold to another party someday. There is a proven history of people trying to make the most profit from the least effort and ultimately the codes protect the buyer of your owner/build home from you and gives the buyer some small assurance that the structure WILL NOT KILL THEM.
LEED, as promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) , has established itself as another obstacle to alternative building system development. USGBC & LEED have positioned themselves, amazingly, as a new expensive hurdle. USGBC appears to me to be a corporate front with an underlying goal of keeping the big players in control of the game.
Now despite all that the building codes are under revision for very valid reasons....the fact that the revisions are influenced by industry does not remove the validity of the need for improved codes. The international standards coming into place are a recognition by the world at large and our federal government of the impacts of climate change. Our codes have been a very low standard and have not been meeting the needs of society when tested by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and other forces of nature.
People think that the codes are focused on protecting them from themselves. Its not really that way. The codes are intended to protect the home buying public from incompetent or unethical builders be they owner/builders (which Puna has a lot of) or professional builders. It is assumed that every home built will be sold to another party someday. There is a proven history of people trying to make the most profit from the least effort and ultimately the codes protect the buyer of your owner/build home from you and gives the buyer some small assurance that the structure WILL NOT KILL THEM.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator