Falcon Structures to Lead Training on Container Building Code in Texas

AUSTIN TX - On Oct 31, Falcon Structures will host a special segment of the Central Texas Building Professional Institute (BPI) training. As the primary building code training organization in Texas, the BPI strives to educate building professionals in current code with support from the Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT).  Code officials from around Central Texas will have a unique opportunity to learn about shipping container building code from Falcon CEO Stephen Shang, an industry leader. After his presentation on the safe use of modified shipping containers at the Austin Airport Hilton, 9515 Hotel Dr, Austin, TX 78719, Shang will lead building officials on a tour of the Falcon manufacturing facility just east of Austin at 7717 Gilbert Rd, Manor, TX 78653. Participants will see firsthand the workmanship that goes into containers they may be asked to permit.

“Based on past presentations I’ve given, there’s a huge amount of interest in building codes for shipping containers,” said Shang, “We hope we can point people in the right direction as more and more developers adopt container-based building.”

Building officials, inspectors, contractors, architects, engineers, electricians, and any other Texas professional that needs to know code can attend BPI training sessions for up to date information.

Shipping containers are a relatively new building material and accompanying guidance may be unfamiliar to building officials. Since containers are gaining popularity, the BPI of Central Texas saw that updating building code officials on shipping container code provisions should be a priority.

“If there’s a new product, we need to bring building professionals up to speed,” said Charles Clawson, Chairman of the BPI, “If people see something in the field and don’t know what to do, they may turn it down. We’re training people to evaluate containers in the right context of the code.”

Shang’s training will focus on ICC guidelines, new language in the 2021 IBC, and the ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria 462. In addition to founding and leading Falcon Structures, a manufacturing company that modifies shipping containers, Shang has acted as an industry ambassador on all the above initiatives and co-chaired the Container Industry Task Force.

During the tour of the Falcon Structures’ manufacturing facility, building code officials will see what goes into deeming a shipping container AC462 compliant and safe for use as a building material. Shang will also explain safety considerations for basic modifications such as cut outs for windows and doors.

“We’ve worked hard on our quality assurance program because our top priority is keeping people safe. I’m eager to show the pride we take in our containers during the tour,” said Shang.

The BPI’s three-day training event, hosted at the Austin Airport Hilton, will run from Oct 29-31. The full itinerary is available at the BPI Central Texas web page.  Attendees can register for full days and half days. Early bird registration is open until October 19.