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The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) adopted a new rule with new accessibility guidelines for federal buildings. The rule establishes that pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way are readily accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
Climate change is making design and construction more challenging and increasing the potential for lawsuits against building teams, according to insurance experts. Building to code is not enough to reduce liability because codes have not kept up with the rapid climate changes that are making extreme weather more common.
A Florida law enacted after the Surfside condo tower collapse is causing turmoil in the condominium market. The law, which requires buildings to meet certain structural safety standards, is forcing condo associations to assess hefty fees to make repairs on older properties. In some cases, the cost per unit runs into six figures.
A law ending single-family-home-only zoning in California was ruled unconstitutional by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. The decision could lead to the law being invalidated in the state’s largest cities.
California is revising the state’s standards on interior furniture and insulation to maintain or improve fire safety while reducing or eliminating the use of toxic chemicals.
Insurance Service Office, Inc. (ISO) recently analyzed building codes and enforcement and found that Pima County, Ariz., consistently outscored comparable jurisdictions in Arizona and the nation.
The District of Columbia has released a revised set of building codes to make it a leader in green construction.
Experts on insurance, weather, and catastrophe modeling say the role of climate change in Hurricane Sandy and future storms is unclear.
Researchers aim to gauge how buildings constructed with reinforced concrete withstand an earthquake by conducting a simulation test at a two-story building built in the 1920s in El Centro, Calif.
Some towers in Miami, rebuilt after a hurricane in 2005, were allowed to be constructed under older building codes instead of newer ones created after Hurricane Wilma.
The Potomac River’s health stands to suffer if the region does not change its development and building standards, according to the Potomac Conservancy.
“(LEED is) much better than a mandatory building code because you get a little wiggle room in these projects,” said Mike Mueller, a spokesman for the South Dakota Bureau of Administration.
Princeton, N.J. residents criticized proposed legislation that would exempt private colleges and universities from following local land use laws for construction projects.
