Q: How do the building codes and standards in China compare with those in the U.S.?

A: Since 1956, the National Infrastructure Committee, the National Planning Committee and the Ministry of Construction have been responsible for developing building regulations. As China’s codes and standards have evolved, the requirements have been influenced by many country’s regulations, including Russia, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S. When one visits the larger cites of China, one can see the influence the codes and standards have had on design and construction. Whereas the buildings built in the 1970s and 1980s tend to be simple in design and relatively compartmented, newer buildings are more open in design, using curtainwall construction and light weight steel framing as one would find in major cites around the world.

In support of their codes and standards development, the Chinese conduct research activities in building design and fire protection, partner with universities and other organizations overseas, and sponsor international conferences on fire safety. China’s Ministry of Public Security sponsors four research institutes located in Shanghai, Shenyang, Sichuan and Tianjin.

Each research institute has specific areas of research responsibility as well as codes and standards development. For example, the Sichuan Fire Research Institute’s main focus is on building fire theory, structural fire protection, fire damage assessment, smoke movement in high rise buildings, automatic sprinkler systems, flame retardants, toxicity of burning materials, and development of fire resistive building materials. They provide technical input for the “Code of Fire Design for High-Rise Civil Buildings” and represent China on several ISO standards.

Today, the Ministry of Construction is responsible for the development, revision, and administration of China’s construction standards. Construction standards are categorized into national standards, regional standards and local standards. National standards take precedence over all other regulations. Regional and local standards may have different requirements, but cannot conflict with the national standards.

The national standards include both mandatory standards and recommended guidelines. Local fire protection authorities are responsible for fire safety regulation enforcement. This includes the authority to review plans, inspect construction, and issue occupancy permits.

Requirements of China’s tall buildings code are similar to the U.S. codes, with some marked differences. One is the requirement for floors of refuge every 20 stories. These floors must have no other occupancy other than occupant refuge and are required to be open to the outside. A second difference is that the code applies to buildings up to 240 meters in height. The code states that buildings over this height must have additional considerations, but does not enumerate what these considerations need to be. Egress considerations are also similar to U.S. codes; however, they do not recognize the concept of horizontal exits.

Thanks to Randolph W. Tucker, P.E., who is executive vice president of The RJA Group Inc., a global fire protection and security consulting firm that has worked on construction projects in more than 60 countries. The RJA Group's Rolf Jensen & Associates Inc. subsidiary has established a representative office in Shanghai and plans to open a second location in Beijing by mid-2004. He can be reached at rtucker@rjagroup.com.

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