3 ms·

No, they are not. I find construction rules in USA to be weird in comparison to Europe, it looks like most rules exist to make new developments almost impossibl

No, they are not. I find construction rules in USA to be weird in comparison to Europe, it looks like most rules exist to make new developments almost impossible unless you bribe a lot of the people in charge of regulations; they protect the shady revenues of local officials, not the people that will live in the buildings. At the same time, some standards are ridiculous, like low power electrical lines in homes and small offices are dangerous and obsolete. I am passioned about this particular domain and I am investing quite some time learning about differences between Europe and other places around the world, so I had the chance to reach to some conclusions.

otikik 3y ago
I happen to have reached a similar conclusion through a totally different path (by watching many American home building YouTube channels and comparing them with how we build in Europe). If you ever put your thoughts out there, I would like to read them/watch them.
- AdrianB1 3y ago
  I have considered the idea, but I don't see the practical value. USA will not change a bit, most of the good things from Europe cannot be reapplied (incompatible standards and equipment) and, to be very honest, there is no single European standard to follow; Germany has probably the best, but I saw some good stuff in UK that is quite incompatible (RCBO in TT), I dislike Italian sockets and I am not a fan of UK plugs (fuse in plugs? really?) and ring circuits (saving copper was real in 1950, but we are 70 years later). So it would just sound as bashing USA without providing any solutions. It would be even illegal to adopt most European technologies in a house in USA.
  - otikik 3y ago
    Well maybe it will not make the US better, but it could perhaps help Europe not become worse (some people will think “if it’s American it must be better”). But thank you for sharing this anyway.
D13Fd 3y ago
> unless you bribe a lot of the people in charge of regulations No. We have pretty low rates of this because the risk/reward ratio sucks for both sides.

otikik 3y ago

I happen to have reached a similar conclusion through a totally different path (by watching many American home building YouTube channels and comparing them with how we build in Europe). If you ever put your thoughts out there, I would like to read them/watch them.

AdrianB1 3y ago
I have considered the idea, but I don't see the practical value. USA will not change a bit, most of the good things from Europe cannot be reapplied (incompatible standards and equipment) and, to be very honest, there is no single European standard to follow; Germany has probably the best, but I saw some good stuff in UK that is quite incompatible (RCBO in TT), I dislike Italian sockets and I am not a fan of UK plugs (fuse in plugs? really?) and ring circuits (saving copper was real in 1950, but we are 70 years later). So it would just sound as bashing USA without providing any solutions. It would be even illegal to adopt most European technologies in a house in USA.
- otikik 3y ago
  Well maybe it will not make the US better, but it could perhaps help Europe not become worse (some people will think “if it’s American it must be better”). But thank you for sharing this anyway.

D13Fd 3y ago

> unless you bribe a lot of the people in charge of regulations No. We have pretty low rates of this because the risk/reward ratio sucks for both sides.