# Bend: Building Code Definition

> How the IRC 2009 define bend, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/bend/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IRC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IRC 2009 Definitions (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 30 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Single code (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Bend is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 30 chapters of this corpus, most often in Sanitary Drainage (IRC 2009), Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009), Fuel Gas (IRC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Bend** — IRC 2009, Definitions:

> A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Bend: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/bend/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IRC 2009 define bend, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

**Bend** is defined once in this corpus, in the [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/definitions.md) chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:

> A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").

## Where bend is used in the code

The term appears in 30 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Sanitary Drainage](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/sanitary-drainage.md) | IRC 2009 | 26 |
| [Soils and Foundations](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/soils-and-foundations.md) | IBC 2009 | 24 |
| [Fuel Gas](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/fuel-gas.md) | IRC 2009 | 18 |
| [Water Supply and Distribution](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/water-supply-and-distribution.md) | IRC 2009 | 10 |
| [Masonry](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/masonry.md) | IBC 2009 | 9 |
| [Building Planning](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/building-planning.md) | IRC 2009 | 8 |
| [Chimneys and Fireplaces](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/chimneys-and-fireplaces.md) | IRC 2009 | 8 |
| [Sanitary Drainage](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/sanitary-drainage.md) | IPC 2009 | 6 |
| [Water Supply and Distribution](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/ipc-2009/water-supply-and-distribution.md) | IPC 2009 | 6 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IBC 2009 | 5 |
| [Concrete](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/concrete.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| [Structural Design](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/structural-design.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |

_18 further chapters mention the term._

### The term in use

How the code actually writes about bend, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

> The load-bearing capacity of deep foundation elements discovered to have a sharp or sweeping bend shall be determined by an approved method of analysis or by load testing a representative element.

— [IBC 2009 §1810.3.3.1.8](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/soils-and-foundations.md)

> Two such ties shall be provided at each bend in the vertical bars.

— [IBC 2009 §2111.3.2](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/masonry.md)

> Two such ties shall be installed at each bend in the vertical bars.

— [IRC 2009 §RI003.3.2](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/irc-2009/chimneys-and-fireplaces.md)


## Bend compared with Sweep

These two are the closest pair in the 2009 I-Codes: about 73 per cent of their defining words are the same. The code states both and compares neither, so the difference is worth naming.

| | Wording unique to it |
| --- | --- |
| **Bend** (IRC 2009) | sweep |
| [Sweep](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/sweep.md) (IRC 2009) | sweeps, longer, turning, radius, bends, turbulent, flow, pattern, bend |

Everything else in the two definitions is shared. If a project turns on which of the two applies, those words are the whole of the test — and a local amendment that edits one of them without editing the other moves the boundary between bend and sweep.

## The terms bend is built out of

The definition above leans on 5 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what bend covers:

- **[Drainage Fitting](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/drainage-fitting.md)** — IRC 2009: A pipe fitting designed to provide connections in the drainage system that have provisions for establishing the desired slope in the system.
- **[Fitting](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/fitting.md)** — IRC 2009: An accessory such as a locknut, bushing or other part of a wiring system that is intended primarily to perform a mechanical rather than an electrical function.
- **[Slope](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/slope.md)** — IRC 2009: The fall (pitch) of a line of pipe in reference to a horizontal plane.
- **[Drain](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/drain.md)** — IRC 2009: Any pipe that carries soil and water-borne wastes in a building drainage system.
- **[Sweep](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/sweep.md)** — IRC 2009: A drainage fitting designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line.

## Bend: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Sanitary Drainage (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fuel Gas (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Water Supply and Distribution (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Drainage Fitting | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Fitting | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Slope | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Drainage Fitting: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/drainage-fitting.md)
- [Fitting: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/fitting.md)
- [Sweep: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/sweep.md)
- [Slope: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/slope.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of bend?

The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on bend?

In this corpus the term is used across 30 chapters, led by Sanitary Drainage in the IRC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What is the definition of a building code?

Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as bend, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

### What is considered a structure in building code?

Structure is a separate defined term. The IPC 2009 defines it as: “That which is built or constructed or a portion thereof.” That is not the same as bend, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A drainage fitting, designed to provide a change in direction of a drain pipe of less than the angle specified by the amount necessary to establish the desired slope of the line (see "Elbow" and "Sweep").” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

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