Hello everyone.

I am a Texas A&M student majoring in Architectural Engineering, and I am currently taking my senior design course. In this course, my groupmates and I are designing a building and all of the systems that it's composed of such as mechanical, structural, electrical, etc. I am the head of the plumbing section (which includes water systems for fire suppression) for my group, and the early stages of this project involve knowing what codes and standards apply to our building.

Some information about my building:
- Library
- About 80,000 sqft
- 3 floors
- Located in Houston, TX

All this being said, how do I know what codes/standards apply to my building? All I know for sure is that I am supposed to use the Uniform Plumbing Code (I believe 2015 is the minimum requirements) as well as some NFPA codes and standards. How can I be certain I am using the appropriate codes?

Ask your professor

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

i'm not sure anyone here can help you.
when plumbing companies big or small get involved with a project as big as you have, we are given blueprints along with specs for the job.
we bid according to what they tell us they want.
there is no guess work on our part.
it is all done for us.

Thank you for your reply.



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Contact local building department. City websites usually will state what code versions are currently being enforced.

Code is the absolute MINIMUM.

It is best practice to EXCEED code.

Therefor: Architects and SPECIFICATIONS meeting or exceeding code.



The very nature of your question is TERRIFYING to me.

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



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how in the world is any company supposed to make money with that attitude?
the specs call for "M" copper, the boss bids on "M" copper and the crew orders "K" copper.
you can only lose money on so many jobs and you'll be out of business.

My point is that the ARCHITECT developes the specs NOT the contractor.


If the specs are the code MINIMUM 'M' tube then that is what is bid and installed.

If the specs are good practice 'L' tube then THAT is what is bid and installed.


The architect designs, the building 'owner' approves, the job is bid, the construction manager and/or the architect 'bird-dog'the actual construction.


The whole POINT of having an architect is so the contractor does NOT, repeat NOT, decide what materials to use UNLESS there is a code violation 'exposed'.


Then EVERYONE makes money via the change order(s).




sheeeezz

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

some purposely low ball their bid knowing they will make plenty on the change orders.

you are confusing the concept of bid versus proposal

a lowball proposal is a common practice in order to later overcharge for meeting code

a lowball bid is financial suicide as there are actual SPECS which must be adhered to




As an owner/builder I suggest getting a few PROPASALS, using them for ideas/reference, developing a set of actual specifications, then putting said specifications 'out for bids'.

or

Hire an architect/engineer to produce plans and specifications which are then put out to bid and the lowest QUALIFIED bidder gets the job. Part of any 'decent' specs is that the successful bidder need be both Licensed AND Bonded for the work at hand.

The term 'or equivalent equal' is just fine as it does NOT affect the contract pricing. Unless the builder/owner agrees to any 'upgrade' in writing.



............ over and out ............

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

IN Phoenix, when you take a code test they do not want you to be conservative and "oversize", It MUST to code. For cost reasons, architectural firms ALSO do so

One contractor in Scottsdale, did that and did not receive a SINGLE CHANGE ORDER and lost his shirt, (it was a BIG building).

In the context of the OP's question being an architect, he is dealing with design, not construction. For residential or small commercial projects, often times the code is relevant but only in so far as citing the code section in the related design drawings. In other words, the architect may not even be familiar with the code because code typically dictate construction and installation methods. For example, we would draw in a section of concrete curb from one end to the other, length is 450 linear feet. We will annotate next to it "shall comply with blah blah blah section blah blah blah please see typical" a boiler plate without knowing what those are. Someone will fill those in later. You have engineers and architects designing in Chicago on a facility in Los Angeles. The engineer does not know if that curb will be poured in place, pre-cast, or combination. Later on some draftsmen fill in the details. The detail construction and install methods are dictated by the owner operator or construction company when they bid the job.

There is also value engineering. In larger projects like infrastructures like when our firm design say an interchange connector for a highway we are contracted by say Florida DOT to perform the design and the product deliverables is then submitted to the DOT. We collect the design fees. They will have someone reprocess the design and have their estimating department do a refined price estimate before soliciting bids from contractors. Often times even if the contractor bid has been approved, they may hire a firm to do value engineering. Value engineering is when they take the design and make it as cheap as possible using alternate materials or methods while still being compliant. In many cases, they may hire a value engineering firm, pay them 500k on a 30 million project, and the value engineering may result in 3 million of net savings by going cheaper. Pretty much all large infrastructures do value engineering nowadays so it's goal is to be cheapest possible while still compliant.



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The uniform plumbing code is the most strict of all plumbing codes and therefore the best as long as you follow it you should be just fine
Around here we use the international code which is much more relaxed