Apartment building balconies in Berkeley, Calif., will be subject to inspections every three years under new regulations adopted following a deadly collapse.
The city council also adopted a measure to require new balconies to be made of corrosion-resistant material and be ventilated to prevent a buildup of moisture.
Six students were killed and seven others were hospitalized when the apartment balcony collapsed during a birthday party in June.
Inspectors said the balcony was supported by wooden beams that rotted from water damage. Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the collapse.
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| Aug 11, 2010
Inspiring Offices: Office Design That Drives Creativity
Office design has always been linked to productivity—how many workers can be reasonably squeezed into a given space—but why isn’t it more frequently linked to creativity? “In general, I don’t think enough people link the design of space to business outcome,” says Janice Linster, partner with the Minneapolis design firm Studio Hive.