Getting Building Technology Accepted: Developing
and Deploying New Building Technologies
(January 2003, 25 p.)
This report explains how regulatory activities affect new building technology
research, development, and deployment and how to effectively
apply regulatory information to successfully develop and deploy
building technologies. Without this technology, building technology
developers may devote resources to research and development
of a building technology only to discover too late that the
technology does not meet building regulations and therefore
must be tested, retested, or redesigned or that they must
address another issue that is impeding or preventing the technology’s
deployment. A new or innovative product or technology can
only achieve market success if it meets the building codes,
standards, and regulations adopted at the Federal, State,
and local levels (and abroad). Products that have difficulty
securing code approval are less likely to be specified for
use. The result is lack of sales.
Taking a new building technology from idea through development
and deployment to market acceptance is complex, requiring
many activities. Because the building industry tends to be
highly regulated with respect to building construction regulations,
technology acceptance must be considered during technology
research, development, and deployment. If this issue is ignored,
costs and resource needs will escalate, and the producer’s
ability to market the technology will be curtailed significantly.
Taking these issues into consideration will build an awareness
of the need to perform technology acceptance planning- the
integration of parallel rather than sequential efforts to
address building regulations and technology development. By
using the approaches in this report, product innovators and
proponents will better understand the issues associated with
codes and standards and be better prepared to develop successful
strategies to bring new products to the marketplace. These
new products will, in turn, contribute to the development
of safer, better, and more affordable housing for all Americans.
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