Significant progress was made at a special meeting held this Fall to develop a CFA Standard for poured wall construction. The committee decided to base the CFA Standard on existing published codes and standards. The document will be similar to the CABO One and Two Family Building Code (now the International Residential Code).

A shortcoming of that code, however, is that it does not go far enough with regard to concrete and other related topics. To fill the gaps. the CFA will incorporate portions of documents published by ACI, PCA, CFA, and others. All of the provisions included in the CFA Standard will be reviewed for practicality and safety. If a standard, figure, or procedure is proposed by the CFA which is different than those of the documents on which the standard is based the CFA will attempt to substantiate its position through research or analysis (see story on CFA Foundation).

The final document will resemble the CABO and IRC codes but will be more comprehensive and will deal only with cast-in-place walls. The committee felt that a document that closely resembles established codes will be met more favorably by local code authorities. The committee expects to have the first compiled draft of the document ready this spring and hopes to unveil it for review by the membership at the Summer 2000 meeting.