Broader: Computable building regulations
Depends on: Building code Jurisdiction Local amendments
Enables: Continuous compliance Automated code checking Compliance intelligence
Related: Code citation ICC (International Code Council)
Why it matters
A requirement like a minimum corridor width becomes a rule with a scope, a condition, and a value. That structure is what allows a model element to be tested against it, and what allows the result to carry a citation back to the exact source text. Not all of the code structures cleanly; the parts that require judgment are exactly the parts that should stay with a licensed professional.
Often confused with
- Digitized codes. A PDF of the code online is digital but not machine-readable. Machine-readable means structured: scoped rules software can evaluate, not pages software can only display.
Common question
Can the whole building code be made machine-readable?
No, and that is fine. Prescriptive requirements structure cleanly; genuinely interpretive provisions do not, and pretending otherwise produces false confidence. Honest systems structure what structures and flag what requires judgment.