A committee for the group that writes building codes for the U.S. recommended this week a sweeping rollback for the use of exterior metal panels that have been linked to high-rise fires.
The International Code Council’s fire-safety committee approved a proposal Thursday that would limit the use of aluminum-sheet panels with polyethylene cores or other combustible material to 40 feet above ground. The council’s model building code has allowed the panels to be used on the high-rise exteriors at any height, under certain conditions,...