Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Steel: Building Code Definition

How the IFC 2009 define steel, 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.

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Direct answer

Steel is a defined term in the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “Hot-or cold-rolled as defined by the International Building Code.” 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 85 chapters of this corpus, most often in Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009), Wall Construction (IRC 2009), Soils and Foundations (IBC 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?

Steel — IFC 2009, Definitions:

Hot-or cold-rolled as defined by the International Building Code.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Steel: Building Code Definition — How the IFC 2009 define steel, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Steel is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Fire Code (IFC) 2009:

Hot-or cold-rolled as defined by the International Building Code.

Where steel is used in the code

The term appears in 85 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Fire and Smoke Protection Features	IBC 2009	237
Wall Construction	IRC 2009	177
Soils and Foundations	IBC 2009	171
Steel	IBC 2009	118
Foundations	IRC 2009	95
Wall Covering	IRC 2009	95
Floors	IRC 2009	94
Roof-ceiling Construction	IRC 2009	91
Building Planning	IRC 2009	75
Structural Tests and Special Inspections	IBC 2009	63
Fuel Gas	IRC 2009	57
Structural Design	IBC 2009	55

73 further chapters mention the term.

The term in use

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

Primed, painted or encapsulated steel shall be allowed, provided that testing has demonstrated that required adhesion is maintained.

— IBC 2009 §704.13.3.1

Cold-formed steel wall framing members shall comply with the requirements of this section.

— IRC 2009 §R603.1

Concrete cover shall be measured from the concrete surface to the outermost surface of the steel to which the cover requirement applies.

— IBC 2009 §1808.8.2

The terms steel 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 steel covers:

Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

Steel: 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	Definitions
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Wall Construction (IRC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Steel (IBC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Building
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.

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 steel?

The International Fire Code (IFC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “Hot-or cold-rolled as defined by the International Building Code.” 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 steel?

In this corpus the term is used across 85 chapters, led by Fire and Smoke Protection Features in the IBC 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.

Is the standard code for steel?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IFC 2009 states, in Definitions: “Hot-or cold-rolled as defined by the International Building Code.” 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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