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MBI Renews Memorandum of Understanding with International Code Council

At its recent World of Modular conference and tradeshow, held March 29-April 1, 2023, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the International Code Council (ICC).

The two parties signed their original agreement to develop new standards and guidelines for the offsite construction industry in 2017.

Since that time, MBI and ICC have collaborated on the development of one new guideline for shipping container conversions (G5-2019) and three new standards for offsite construction projects:

  • ICC/MBI Standard 1200-2021: Standard for Off-Site Construction: Planning, Design, Fabrication and Assembly and ICC/MBI Standard 1205-2021: Standard for Off-Site Construction: Inspection and Regulatory Compliance provide criteria to facilitate offsite construction project compliance with building code requirements and support consistency across jurisdictions for how off-site construction is regulated.
  • The most recent standard, ICC/MBI Standard 1210: Standard for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Systems, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation in Off-Site Construction, focuses on mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy efficiency and water conservation in offsite construction projects.

The two parties have also collaborated on numerous webinars and presentations aimed at better educating code officials about the offsite construction sector.

This new agreement continues that collaboration with a heightened focus on working to get more .jurisdictions to adopt the standards.

"Our goal is to streamline the regulatory process wherever we can by promoting these standards," said MBI Government Affairs Director Jon Hannah-Spacagna. "We feel this will lead to a greater understanding and adoption of modular and offsite construction practices across the board."

"The market share for modular construction has more than doubled since signing the original agreement. As more jurisdictions adopt these standards, we expect to see market share double again over the next five years, if not sooner," said MBI Executive Director Tom Hardiman.

For more information, visit the Modular Building Institute at modular.org.

About the Modular Building Institute

Founded in 1983, the Modular Building Institute (MBI) is the international non-profit trade association serving modular construction. With over 500 member companies around the world, MBI has grown to represent architects, engineers, owner/developers, builders, general contractors, suppliers, and more. As the Voice of Commercial Modular ConstructionTM, it is MBI's mission to expand the use of offsite construction through innovative construction practices, outreach and education to the construction community and customers, and recognition of high-quality modular designs and facilities. To learn more, visit www.modular.org.