International Code Council’s 2024 Annual Conference: A Focus on Plumbing

This October, the International Code Council’s Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas (PMG) Technical Resource Team joined nearly 3,000 building safety professionals from around the globe at the Code Council’s 2024 Annual Conference, Expo and Committee Action Hearings at the Long Beach Convention Center in California.

Programs at this year’s conference covered all aspects of building safety, but placed a special focus on plumbing, emphasizing its critical role within the industry.

A Spotlight on Plumbing

During the Annual Business Meeting, Dominic Sims, Code Council CEO, acknowledged the plumbing industry leaders from around the world who traveled to attend the conference.

He also gave an exclusive preview of the first international episode of American Plumber Stories, a show that, through its partnership with the Code Council, is now featuring plumbers from outside the U.S. in its fifth season.

This year’s event celebrated the Code Council’s 30th anniversary, highlighting the organization’s rich history and the contributions of its members to building safety worldwide. The exhibit in the lobby of the convention center included many plumbing-specific milestones, specifically the publication of the Code Council’s first International Code, the International Plumbing Code®.

Conference attendees had the opportunity to engage with peers, learn from industry experts and explore new career opportunities. The event continued to nurture a strong sense of community and collaboration, vital for the ongoing growth and advancement of the building safety profession.

This spirit of networking extended to the plumbing industry, offering professionals from across the globe the chance to connect and exchange ideas. A few of the plumbers featured in American Plumber Stories were in attendance as well.

ICC 815 Pipe Sizing Committee Meeting

The first, in-person meeting of the Code Council’s 815 standard development committee was hosted by Ramiro Mata, PMG Standards Manager for the Code Council, and Chaired by Gary Klein. The meeting was a great success and provided members the opportunity to meet in person after years of frequent video conferences.

During the meeting, Drew Rich, a University of Miami PhD candidate, presented a network-based water demand estimation approach that involves uploading floor plans, using machine learning to identify fixtures and pipes, and simulating water usage patterns to determine flow rates and create distributions for pipe sizing. The key goals are to develop a simple, modular and adjustable design approach for plumbing systems intended for global applications while ensuring public health and safety.

Also, in a demonstration of measurement equipment, Markus Lenger, Co-founder of BlueSense, showcased various types of instrumentation for water demand and drainage testing. He explained the advantages and disadvantages of each type and provided guidance on proper installation.

Beyond Plumbing

Many from the plumbing industry also attended educational sessions not just on plumbing-related topics, but on other trends throughout the construction industry.

The final focus of the conference was the code hearings, where code officials, plumbers, architects, builders, manufacturers, engineers and other professionals from around the world provided input on proposed code changes to the International Codes® (I-Codes).

For complete highlights from this year’s conference, click here.

To learn more about next year’s conference, click here.  To access the Code Council’s PMG-related resources, click here. To subscribe to the PMG newsletter, click here.