The International Code Council (ICC) has recently announced two resources for the design and building trades.

ICC Evaluation Service's Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) program was created to substantiate manufacturers' green or sustainable building product claims. Independent confirmation gives builders, designers, and specifiers a reliable way to identify products that live up to their claims. During a SAVE evaluation, the manufacturer's product process is inspected while independent product testing results are reviewed. Products are evaluated in nine categories: recycled content, regional materials, bio-based materials, certified wood products, solar reflectance index and thermal emittance of roofing materials, volatile organic compound content and emissions (for adhesives/sealants and for paints/coatings), urea formaldehyde resin content in composite wood products, and volatile organic compound content and emissions of floor coverings. Products that are successfully evaluated are given a Verification of Attributes Report in one or more of the categories. The SAVE program is designed for use under the three major green rating systems: NAHB's National Green Building Standard, USGBC's LEED, and Green Globes. ICC-ES will soon launch a directory of reports on products and systems successfully evaluated under SAVE at www.saveprogram.icc-es.org/reports.

The ICC also has released a new reference guide, Building Code Basics: Residential, Based on the 2006 International Residential Code (Delmar Cengage Learning, $39.95), highlighting the most important code provisions in easy-to-understand language with illustrations to help building and design professionals understand the codes. Written by Stephen A. Van Note, senior technical staffer of the ICC, Building Code Basics is available for purchase at your favorite e-tailer or from the ICC's Web site.