New Florida building code legislation will allow building owners to postpone for several years a requirement for all new and existing buildings to provide minimum radio signal strength for fire department communications.
The code change that requires installation of necessary equipment and wiring in most commercial and multi-family buildings was to go into effect immediately, with no grace period. The provision, which necessitates opening up sections of walls and ceilings, has been estimated to cost over $1 million for some large structures.
A recently enacted update to the legislation provides for existing non-residential buildings to install the radio enhancement systems by Jan. 1, 2022, if owners submit their application for the installation permit by Dec. 31, 2019. Existing apartment buildings (including residential condominiums) are not required to install radio enhancement systems until Jan. 1, 2025, if they apply for the appropriate permits by Dec. 31, 2022.
The legislation now allows unit owner associations to stretch out special assessments over a number of years.
Related Stories
| Mar 1, 2012
California bill aims to cut costs for commercial building energy retrofits
A bill in the California Assembly would allow the state to pool together property owners’ energy-retrofit loans.
| Feb 29, 2012
Carvalho appointed Shawmut Safety Director
He has been a driving force behind multiple safety-orientated initiatives at Shawmut, including Safety Week, the creation of an online safety manual, and the implementation of a new safety reporting and tracking system.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold
A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administration’s 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal agencies fixed on leasing LEED-certified space
The federal government is especially focused on renting LEED-certified spaces.
| Feb 23, 2012
Regulators investigating construction accident at World Trade Center
The New York Port Authority and the city’s fire and building departments are investigating an accident at the World Trade Center construction site in lower Manhattan after a crane dropped steel beams that fell about 40 stories onto the truck that delivered them.
| Feb 23, 2012
New Virginia statewide building code goes into effect March 1
After March 1, all building plans in Virginia must adhere to the 2009 code that was adopted a year ago.
| Feb 23, 2012
Privatizing flood insurance could lead to new code requirements
One thing that could pave the way toward private flood insurance would be NFIP reforms, like requiring new construction in flood-prone areas to be elevated.
| Feb 22, 2012
ACI BIM manual for cast-in-place concrete in development
The improved communication, coordination, and collaboration afforded by BIM implementation have already been shown to save time and money in projects.