Welcoming the New Year While Keeping an Eye on Next New Year’s Code
Mike Silvers, CPRC, Owner, Silvers Systems Inc. and FRSA Director of Technical Services
No, you animals, I’m not already thinking about next year’s celebration. I’m referring to the implementation date for the Florida Building Code (FBC) 7th Edition (2020). Fireworks and champagne anyone? What a way to mess up an otherwise great day, even for code geeks.
Among the most challenging of the changes incorporated into the code will be the adoption of ASCE 7-16 as part of the FBC reference standards. It seems like it's been a very long time since we started warning our members of the possible consequences of this adoption. Despite FRSA and other roofing industry group’s efforts to maintain ASCE 7-10, first for the entire FBC, and then for roofing chapters only, 7-16 was eventually adopted and is now on our doorstep. ASCE, the American Society of Civil Engineers, promulgates this standard as the basis for structural design of buildings. The greatest concern for our industry is the uplift resistance requirements that have been increased by the new standard. The wind speeds have not changed, but changes in the pressure co-efficient have in most cases increased the uplift pressures. In many cases they are substantially higher. The new standard has a significant impact on almost all types of roof coverings. Read more.
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