Fairfax County, Va., in the Washington, D.C., metro region is considering a major code change to reduce the risk from floods.
The county is reviewing a proposal to base codes on 100-year storms instead of current 10-year storms. County staff cited the elevated risk of flooding in the county due to climate change as justification for the change.
Under the proposal, the county would require all future development to have proper drainage, pipe conveyance, and safety measures to be resilient to a 100-year storm event, adjusting for climate change. A “100-year storm event” is defined by the U.S. Geological Survey as one that statistically has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. Such a storm would dump about 8 inches of rain over a 24-hour period on the county.
As the effects of climate change increase, that rainfall figure is likely to be adjusted in the future.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Sep 28, 2017
Top 85 government construction firms
Turner Construction Co., PCL Construction Enterprises, and Clark Group top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest government sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 27, 2017
Pickleball, anyone?
Two-and-a-half million Americans are playing the game with the funny name.
Giants 400 | Sep 22, 2017
Top 80 hotel construction firms
Turner Construction Co., Swinerton, and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest hotel sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
40 Under 40 | Sep 22, 2017
Meet the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017
These AEC stars are making their mark in business, philanthropy, and in their communities.
40 Under 40 | Sep 21, 2017
Meet the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017
These AEC stars are making their mark in business, philanthropy, and in their communities.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 19, 2017
Top 90 multifamily construction firms
Lendlease, Suffolk Construction, and Clark Group top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest multifamily sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Contractors | Sep 19, 2017
Commercial Construction Index finds high optimism in U.S. commercial construction industry
Hurricane recovery efforts expected to heighten concerns about labor scarcities in the south, where two-thirds of contractors already face worker shortages.
Giants 400 | Sep 13, 2017
Top 75 retail construction firms
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., PCL Construction Enterprises, and Shawmut Design and Construction top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest retail sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Contractors | Sep 6, 2017
Following the money: G702 progress payment certifications
There is no single method of calculating progress payments, but the most common formula is the percentage of completion applied to the total contract price, less a retainage which is held by the owner until final acceptance of the project.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 5, 2017
Free WiFi, meeting rooms most popular business services amenities in multifamily developments
Complimentary, building-wide WiFi is more or less a given for marketing purposes in the multifamily arena.
