Shining Light on Building Codes (Part 1) | Building Industry Basics by Russell Thornburg
Hello, my name is Russell Thornburg, and I have been in this construction business for a very long time. I’ve been a homeowner. Not only that, I’ve been a contractor, a contractor that fell. I busted up. Then I became somewhat into the inspection department. There I started playing the game. Now, what kind of game did I have to play? Well, becoming a homeowner and a contractor had to figure out what was going on with me. So as a contractor, we had a set of rules that we had to go by.
Now, let me ask you this. Where did those rules come from? So when I’m talking about a homeowner and a contractor, we’re always trying to figure out how we’re going to build something, but we don’t know the rules are coming from.
So I’ve been a permit tech in some ways. I have been a building inspector technician, which meant I field all kinds of questions. I became a field inspector, which meant I was out in the field looking at all kinds of projects.
Then I became a plans examiner. But one of the things I found out while I was doing this is I kept trying to figure out where does this code come from? So I started getting involved in the code hearings while getting involved in the code hearings and started teaching me what people get involved in seeing the code being put together.
Now, you got to go to a code hearing. Please do me a favor. Find the time to go for one week to a code hearing. Watch all the dynamics, all the people, watch everybody that comes into that room.
It is an amazing every kind of industries there. Every kind of expert is there. Everybody with an interest is there. And by the way, don’t forget, the attorneys are there, too. I came back to my office and I’ve changed all the ways the way I was enforcing the code.
And then one of the other things I discovered, never forget the customer. We as the inspection department on this site, have to realize we’re in the customer business. So I had to learn to master the code. I had learned to look at the research behind the code.
I had to learn to listen to the testing. So not only did I go to the code hearing, I went to all the different places. The code development was giving me the backbone. And then I’ve become a consultant.
I’ve worked for lots of different individuals. Cities hire me to come in and work for their staff one week at a time. I’ve had a city hire me for six weeks to come in and work with each one of their departments in the inspection.
It’s interesting as you look at what I do and how I apply it, but it all started back being a contractor and a homeowner. I want to thank Pieresearch for allowing me to be here today.
Watch Shining Light on Building Codes (Part 2) >
This video was made courtesy of Pieresearch, “The Standard of Excellence!” Manufacturer of high-quality alignment and centralizer products for the deep foundation and earth retention industries.