New building code to see a number of changes

Shamsul Huda | Published: April 08, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The updated Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), aiming to avoid disasters, is likely to receive approval by June this year.
A good number of changes will take place for the first time after twenty years since the drawing up of the code in 1993. And the country is yet to set up an implementing authority, sources said.
The new changes are made on the basis of US Building Code 2012 whereas the existing code is based on US Code 1989.
The government took up the project to update the code through House Building Research Institute (HBRI) and the scheduled time for completion was June last year.
HBRI director Mohammad Abu Sadeque said due to the occurrence of Rana Plaza collapse the consultant engineers and experts from BUET who were engaged by HBRI, were busy in other fields at that moment.
He said, "And that is why we could not complete the review project on time."
"All the barriers have been removed", Mr. Sadeque said and hoped that the review would get approval from the authority within June this year.
"Though the review project time expired last year, we are aware of maintaining the timeframe and are trying to complete it as soon as possible," he said.
After drawing up of the BNBC in 1993, a SRO was issued in 2006.
Building codes are reviewed every two years in the US and other developed countries but in Bangladesh it is going to take place after more than two decades and the country is yet to form an authority to implement the BNBC.
A Public Works Department official admitted, "We do not have our own research on building construction, design, planning and works."
He said, "In our national building code we have just incorporated the codes from other countries and the new changes are being included as per necessity."
Another HBRI official said in the review a new chapter-'sustainability' has been incorporated which will deal with use of renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and the environmental issues.
After review of the BNBC, a SRO will be issued, the official said.
According to a PWD official the existing BNBC is not being followed in constructing buildings as there is no implementing authority.
He said, "An implementing authority has to be set up. Otherwise the work to update it would become useless exercise."
The Rajuk itself is following its own rules. The city corporations and development authorities, municipals, cantonment boards follow a portion of the code and enforce rules in their own style, sources added.