Jordan National Building Codes

Energy Codes and Manuals

21.01.2020

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THE BEGINNINGS ….
The development process of Jordan’s national
building codes goes back to 1980 when the
Jordanian National Building Council (JNBC) was
formed by the Prime Minister when His Majesty late
King Al-Hussein's put orders to look at preparing
Building Codes and National Building Law to insure
the safety of buildings.
An agreement was then signed between the Council and the Royal
Scientific Society (RSS) whereby the Construction and Sustainable
Buildings Center (CSBC) of the Society prepares volumes of the Jordan
National Building Codes.

Today, National building codes and guidelines are prepared and updated in
accordance with the agreement signed between the Ministry of Public
Works and Housing and the Royal Scientific Society through the Building
Codes Division of the Construction and Sustainable Buildings Center.

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Building Codes … Preparing and Updating

First Stage Second Stage Third Stage

• National Priorities • Forming a committee • Approval of the

• Feedback from of preparation Technical Committee
the application • Identifying sources • Approval of the
• Updating other and references Jordanian National
related codes • Defining the schedule Building Council,
• The issuance of and table of contents, • Presenting the draft for
new technical • Preparing the initial public for 60 days in
specifications draft libraries.
• New techniques • Forming a specialized • Cabinet approval,
and technologies review committee • Printing hard copies of
• Finalization of the final the new edition,
draft • Application started

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Building Codes … Development
RSS and the JNBC have started the process of preparing and issuing
manuals for the national building codes to clarify the concepts contained in
the codes and to facilitate the application.

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Building Codes … Development
Old Edition New Edition

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 Building Codes … Achievements

Natural Lighting Site Investigation Loads and Forces Fire Protection

Shelters
Thermal Insulation
Steel structures
Electrical Wiring and Installation
Refuse Disposal Building Materials
Bases, Foundations and Retaining Walls
Building Requirements for the Disabled Uniform Pluming Lifts Structural Concrete
CCTV
Steel Structures Scaffolding
Prestressed Concrete Solar Energy
Formwork Traffic Studies Acoustics For the Buildings
Gas Network for Buildings
Space Requirements in Buildings Natural Ventilation Lightning Protection
Urban Aesthetics Masonry and Walls Environmental Impact assessment for Roads Projects

Earthquake Resisting Structure Mechanical Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Fire fighting systems Basic requirements for storage of hazardous materials Energy Saving Buildings

Internal Lighting Central Heating Concrete Water Tanks

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Building Codes … Compatibility

Codes Manuals - Unified design

- National Priorities reference,
and Strategies - Control the
building industry,
- Application
National Building - Protect
Feedback
environment and
- Industry needs Codes preserve
- National Research resources,
- Energy saving,
- National and
- Support safety
international Technical Technical and security,
References Specifications Standards - Participation in
- Technology and the sustainable
techniques development.

Stakeholders Participation

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Energy Codes and Manuals

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Energy Codes and Manuals
Until Jan 2020
The following Codes and Manuals have been prepared to cover the technical
requirements for energy in the construction sector in Jordan:
- Thermal Insulation Code and Manual
- Jordan Green Building Guide
- Natural Lighting Code
- Natural Ventilation Code
- Interior Illumination Code
- Energy Efficient Buildings Code and Manual
- Solar Energy Code and Manual
- Central Heating Code and manual
- Mechanical Ventilation and Air Conditioning Code and manual
- Code for Gas Piping in Buildings

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Thermal Insulation Code
Second Edition, 2009
The code aims to define the building thermal design principles, and the
methods for calculating the thermal characteristics of different structural
elements. Additionally, set the minimum thermal requirements for these
elements to facilitate the best selection by the engineers to achieve thermal
comfort in buildings.

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Thermal Insulation Manual
First Edition, 2018
This manual defines the thermal insulation materials, the basis for their
selection, and practical applications, using appropriate methods for building
insulation in accordance with the requirements of the code. It also shows the
problems of condensation of water vapor.

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Jordan Green Building Guide

The Green Building Guideline and rating system for

Jordan is Referenced to Jordan's Building Codes (as
compulsory requirements), and International green
rating systems such as LEED from the United states,
BREEAM from the united kingdom, ESTIDAMA from
Abu Dhabi , Dubai green building rating system,
QSAS from Qatar, and many more.
The Green building guideline contains parameters
and credits that are suitable for Jordan’s climate,
resources, legislation, policies & policies instrument,
building techniques and strategies. This Guideline is
attached to a Voluntary rating system that is
connected to an incentive scheme given by the
government.

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Natural Lighting Code
Second Edition, 2018

This code objective is to give data for specialists

and engineers and designers about the
importance of daylight in design, methods for
calculations, methods for control, and energy
saving from using natural light instead of artificial
electric lighting with regards to the energy efficient
building code.
All requirements mentioned in this code are
applied to:
- new public and private buildings,
- existing buildings modification,
- existing building extension.

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Natural Ventilation Code
Second Edition, 2020

The code objective is to provide buildings with air

flow, without air currents, with capability of control,
by utilizing outside wind, temperature differences
between inside and outside the building, external
openings design, and the building spaces.

New buildings, extensions on existing buildings,

and adjustments to existing buildings (without
energy consumption increase), are required to
apply the requirements.

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Energy Efficient Buildings Code, and Manual
Under updating
The code aims to provide minimum requirements for energy efficiency in buildings
excluding the low-rise residential buildings (two floors or less), in the design,
construction, operation and maintenance phase of the building.

The draft contains seven sections dealing with the most important information the
engineer needs to carry out the design, implementation and operation of buildings in
accordance with the requirements of the minimum energy efficiency.
The requirements in this draft apply on the following:
(A) New public, private, and multi-purpose buildings and their systems.
(B) New parts of public, private and multi-purpose buildings and their systems.
(C) New systems and devices in all existing buildings.
(D) New systems and devices used in manufacturing and industrial processes.
This code also includes a mechanism to verify the application of the code
requirements.

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Solar Energy Code, and Manual
Under updating
The purpose of this code is to indicate the minimum
requirements that have to be met in solar energy
systems, whether they are solar photovoltaic
systems or solar thermal systems, in order to ensure
the protection of public health and safety and the
public good.
This drat also indicates the specific specifications for
the type of materials and their quality, which must be
referred to when designing the components of these
systems.
The requirements and conditions in this draft are
applied to the construction, installation, modification,
restoration, relocation, replacement, addition, use,
and maintenance of solar thermal systems and solar
PV systems.

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Central Heating Code
Second Edition, 2018

This code aims to provide the minimum

requirements for comfort, public health and safety,
and to achieve ways to reduce energy consumption
and its means, by organizing design, construction,
installation, quality of materials, location, operation,
maintenance and control in central heating systems
in hot water.
The code includes everything related to the design,
implementation and operation of central heating
systems that use hot water, and the use of devices
and equipment such as section radiators and
underfloor heating systems.

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Mechanical Ventilation and Air Conditioning Code
Second Edition, 2018

This code aims to provide the minimum requirements for

comfort, health, general safety and security resulting
from mechanical ventilation systems and air conditioning
for space while achieving energy saving and
environmental conservation, through organize and
control of design, planning, installation, quality of
materials used, examination, operation, maintenance
and safety of mechanical ventilation and air conditioning
systems.

It includes the most important information needed to

carry out the work of designing mechanical ventilation
and air conditioning systems for buildings and facilities,
implementing, installing, testing and operating them.

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Thank you
For further information please contact
Eng. Naela Al-Daoud
Manager of Building Codes
[email protected]

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