Building Codes Illustrated in lieu of IBC 2015

September 23, 2020 02:00

Hi All,

Would it suffice to study "Building Codes Illustrated" instead of reading the entirety of IBC 2015? I have read portions of both, and it seems that the content is fairly similar. However, "Building Codes Illustrated" is more understandable and more clearly written.

Thanks

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7 comments

James Wyatt September 23, 2020 02:08

Well I would say yes and no. BCI is good to learn the information but there is no way to memorize either one of the books. You need to know where in the IBC to find the answers to the questions. Since the exam provides does not provide a copy of BCI in the exam, you need to be familiar with IBC locations of important content.

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David Kaplan September 23, 2020 12:53

Agreed with above - use BCI to understand the codes and how to use them. But, refer to IBC so you know where to find excerpts that you need. Know how to use that book.

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Eric Haoxing Li September 23, 2020 16:29

Thank you both: this is very helpful information.

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Dylan Harm, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Assoc. September 23, 2020 23:03

I disagree somewhat with the comments above. While the exam does test you on IBC, BCI references each IBC chapter and points you to each section, where you can (and should) go to understand how the actual code is written. So, yes, study BCI to get an in-depth explanation of common code logic - IBC is not very clear at times and Ching does a great job deconstructing/visualizing the concepts. However, do simultaneously read the true IBC in order to become comfortable with the specific language, unless you reference IBC regularly at work. BCI has worked a charm for me as study material.

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gracezu January 25, 2021 16:00

To extend this discussion, I have “Building Code Illustrated 2015”. Is this sufficient for current exam, which points to 2018? Should I invest in Building Code Illustrated 2018? Thanks.

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Dylan Harm, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Assoc. January 25, 2021 16:47

The information in BCI probably hasn’t changed greatly between 2015 and 2018, so I would say it’s safe to use your copy as a supplement to the IBC.. However, you most definitely should become familiar with the IBC 2018. Use UpCodes or your office’s resources to read it. BCI diagrams/descriptions, even the 2015 version, would still be useful to learn about and understand code concepts in a way not-so-eloquently described in IBC, but, as in real practice, you’ll always need to be familiar with the latest updates to the IBC.

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gracezu January 25, 2021 17:12

Thanks, Dylan. This is very helpful.

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