In the hope of promoting the compatibility and interoperability that can accelerate the adoption of construction outside the site in sectors such as multi -family housing, commercial developments and institutional projects, the International Codes Council and the Center for the construction of the Site at the New York Technology Institute are developing a critical standard for modular construction.
The creation of the CFOC/ICC 1220 standard on configurations and connections for the construction outside the site aims to improve the quality, sustainability, resilience and accessibility in the construction industry. After it is published in May 2026, the rule will be available on the ICC digital codes platform.
The CFOC ICC and Hope, which establish clear guidelines for the connection and configuration of modular components will address the requirements for configuration and connections in the construction out of site. They will include locations and specifications of modules to modules and buildings in modules for essential construction systems, the standardization of modular components and coverage for composed, panelized and modularized elements.
The establishment of a framework to ensure a consistent quality and compatibility between projects could “significantly” advance modular methods of construction, Ryan Colker, executive director of the Council of Codes, Energy, Resilience and Innovation, said.
Colker said in a statement that the rule “will address some of the key challenges to advance the deployment of construction outside the site, including the support of a project pipeline for factories, providing certainty to developers through the availability of multiple sources of components and increasing the efficiency of manufacturing and approval processes.”
Jason Van Nest, director of the CFOC, also said in the statement that collaboration “will transform how modular components are designed and connected.”
He added: “This association will support the growth of industrialized construction methods and will ensure that the construction systems outside the site will meet the highest standards of performance and interoperability.”
The collaboration takes place about four months after Rhode Island became the first state of the country to adopt an ICC construction code standard that advances construction outside the site of mechanical, electric and plumbing systems, energy efficiency and water conservation.
