The recent mass shooting at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., prompted an article in the Colorado Springs Independent asking if building codes could reduce the carnage in such incidents.
Building codes have focused on fire safety with interior corridor doors being easy for anyone to open. This strategy is at odds with what law enforcement would like to do—close down portions of buildings by blocking corridors in order to isolate a shooter or potential victims.
Locking down parts of a building could do more harm than good in certain circumstances. If corridors are locked to prevent a shooter from gaining access to one section of the building, it might prevent people from escaping.
Electronic locking devices might be viable options for some buildings. Codes allow for these in sensitive areas such as in hospitals' newborn nurseries, which often are located behind locked doors to guard against kidnappers.
Related Stories
| Dec 4, 2014
Rock Hill, S.C., puts moratorium on multifamily construction
City officials say the flurry of apartment construction over the past year has strained resources, including public services and infrastructure.
| Dec 4, 2014
Ontario contractors renew push for prompt payment legislation
A new coalition of Ontario contractors, construction associations, suppliers and trade unions will push for a revival of prompt payment legislation late this year.
| Dec 4, 2014
Roofing material manufacturers extend research project on sustainable roofing
A coalition of trade groups is sponsoring continued analysis of a reroofing project at the Onondaga County Correctional Facility in Jamesville, New York.
| Nov 26, 2014
Colorado must fix construction defects law, Denver Post says
Colorado's “vexing construction defects law” has hampered the building of new condominiums in the state, according to an editorial in the Denver Post.
| Nov 26, 2014
Cheyenne, Wyoming City Council kills downtown design standards proposal
The Cheyenne, Wyoming City Council voted down a measure that would have implemented design standards for new construction and building additions downtown.
| Nov 26, 2014
ASTM International develops first product category rules for asphalt roofing industry
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and ASTM International have developed Product Category Rules (PCR) for asphalt roofing in North America.
| Nov 26, 2014
International Green Construction Code will include option for outcome-based approach
The outcome-based approach requires the building owner to provide the building’s utility bills for a 12-month period within three years.
| Nov 20, 2014
Pentagon is reviewing hospital construction standards
An independent review panel of military specialists met with healthcare leaders Nov. 12 to consider whether construction standards for medical centers should be strengthened to align with industry best practices.
| Nov 20, 2014
ConsensusDocs releases first standard agreement for commissioning contracting
The new standard contract provides a contractual vehicle for owners to save significant money from operation and maintenance costs regarding energy performance.
| Nov 20, 2014
Revamped zoning is transforming several New Jersey downtowns
The zoning policy shift could produce the biggest transformation of North New Jersey’s downtowns since the arrival of malls pulled shoppers away from town centers in the 1960s and 1970s.