DCAT Survey Results

The results of a survey by the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) about the

effect of building codes on green building practices (see

EBN

Vol. 10, No. 7/8) are now available, and confirm what many practitioners already knew: building codes can be a barrier to the use of alternative building materials and methods. A report, “Breaking Down Barriers: Challenges and Solutions to Code Approval of Green Building,” by David Eisenberg, Robert Done, and Lorretta Ishida, provides detailed results of the survey, which was completed by nearly 200 “code users” and 56 “code officials.” Included in the report are analyses of the reasons for rejection by code officials, as well as strategies for success. (See

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Vol. 10, No. 9 for more on these.) The survey also explored the impact of perceived barriers: 65% of code users indicated that they have chosen not to include a green alternative because they expected it would not be approved. Download the report from

www.dcat.net.