The International Code Council and the Center for Offsite Construction (CfOC) at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) announced their collaboration to develop critical standards for modular construction through the creation of the “CFOC/ICC 1220 Standard on Configurations and Connections for Off-Site Construction.” This groundbreaking effort aims to enhance quality, sustainability, resilience and affordability in the construction industry by establishing clear guidelines for the connection and configuration of modular components.

The standard will address requirements for configuration and connections in off-site construction, including the location and specifications of module-to-module and building-to-module connections for essential building systems, the standardization of dimensions for modular components and coverage for componentized, panelized and modularized elements. This effort is expected to significantly advance the use of modular construction methods by providing a framework for ensuring consistent quality and compatibility across projects.

“The Code Council is pleased to partner with the Center for Offsite Construction to create a standard that helps address some of the key challenges in advancing the deployment of off-site construction including supporting a project pipeline for factories, bringing certainty to developers through the availability of multiple sources for components and increasing efficiency of the fabrication and approval processes,” said Ryan Colker, Executive Director, Energy, Resilience & Innovation for the Code Council.

“We are excited to collaborate with the Code Council on developing a standard that will transform how modular components are designed and connected,” said Jason Van Nest, Director of the CfOC at NYIT. “This partnership will support the growth of industrialized construction methods and ensure that off-site construction systems meet the highest standards of performance and interoperability.”

By promoting compatibility and interoperability, the new standard is expected to accelerate the adoption of off-site construction practices in various applications, including multifamily housing, commercial developments, and institutional projects.

Once published, the standard will be available on the Code Council’s Digital Codes platform.

For more information about the development of the CFOC/ICC 1220 Standard and how to participate in the standards development process, please visit the CFOC/ICC 1220 Standard webpage.