The Uniform Building Code (UBC) was a model building code published by the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) and widely adopted in the western United States. Its last edition was published in 1997.
In 1994 ICBO joined the other two U.S. model code organizations to form the International Code Council, which published the first International Building Code in 2000. States and cities gradually replaced the UBC with the IBC through the early 2000s. Supplements were issued between editions to update the code.
Why the UBC still matters
- Existing structures. Many parking garages in the West were designed and permitted under the UBC, and their drawings and calculations refer to it.
- Repairs and alterations. Evaluating an older structure requires understanding the code it was built to, including earlier seismic provisions. See seismic loads.
- Change of use. Converting a UBC-era garage often triggers current code requirements. See adaptive reuse.
The Parkonomics view
An older garage carries its code in its bones. Knowing the UBC edition it was built under is the first step in deciding what it can safely become.
Related terms: International Building Code, International Code Council, Building Code, I-Codes, Seismic Loads