Building Code Glossary
Detonating Cord: Building Code Definition
How the IFC 2009 define detonating cord, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · 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.
Direct answer
Detonating cord is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Explosives and Fireworks. The code's own words are: “A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosive used to initiate other explosives.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IFC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 3 chapters of this corpus, most often in Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009), Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Detonating Cord — IFC 2009, Explosives and Fireworks:
A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosive used to initiate other explosives.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Detonating Cord is defined once in this corpus, in the Explosives and Fireworks chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:
A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosive used to initiate other explosives.
Where detonating cord is used in the code
The term appears in 3 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Explosives and Fireworks | IFC 2009 | 8 |
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about detonating cord, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
For quantity and distance purposes, detonating cord of 50 grains per foot shall be calculated as equivalent to 8 pounds (4 kg) of high explosives per 1,000 feet (305 m).
and delay blasting caps which use detonating cord, shock tube or any other replacement for electric leg wires.
— IFC 2009, Explosives and Fireworks
The terms detonating cord is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what detonating cord covers:
- Explosive — IBC 2009: A chemical compound, mixture or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion.
Detonating Cord: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Explosives and Fireworks | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Explosives and Fireworks (IFC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IFC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Explosive | |
| 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
- Explosive: Building Code Definition
- Explosive Material: Building Code Definition
- Blasting Agent: Building Code Definition
- Highway: Building Code Definition
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 publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of detonating cord?
The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Explosives and Fireworks as: “A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosive used to initiate other explosives.” 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 detonating cord?
In this corpus the term is used across 3 chapters, led by Explosives and Fireworks in the IFC 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 a military detonating cord?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Explosives and Fireworks: “A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosive used to initiate other explosives.” It is defined in IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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