The Florida Legislature recently passed a bill to beef up building inspection requirements for many of the state’s condominiums.
The bill, which is expected to be signed by the governor, will require milestone inspections of condominiums three stories in height or taller within three miles of the coast when the buildings reach 25 years of age, and of buildings more than three miles inland when they reach 30 years of age. Buildings will then be required to have an inspection every 10 years thereafter with inspection records made available to buyers, renters, and unit owners.
The bill’s passage comes nearly one year after the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla., killed 98 people. Following the building collapse, the International Code Council, the National Institute of Building Sciences, the Building Owners and Managers International (BOMA), and the Building Officials of Florida (BOAF) created a group of experts to advise policymakers and create guidelines that could be used to help prevent future catastrophic building collapses. The work of this group informed the crafting of the bill.
Forty percent of Florida jurisdictions have no property maintenance code in place or have adopted a property maintenance code developed in the late 1970s. Only about 3% of Florida jurisdictions have implemented a periodic recertification or inspection safety program for existing buildings.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Nevada moves to suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects
The Nevada Senate approved a bill that would suspend prevailing wage rules on school projects.
Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015
Proposed energy standard for data centers, telecom buildings open for public comment
The intent of ASHRAE Standard 90.4P is to create a performance-based approach that would be more flexible and accommodating of innovative change.
Codes and Standards | Feb 22, 2015
Louisiana officials critical of stricter building standards in flood-prone areas
Buildings would have to be built either two or three feet above the base flood elevation for a 100-year flood or above the base elevation for a 500-year flood.
Codes and Standards | Feb 18, 2015
Buildings with rocking steel-braced frames are advantageous in earthquakes
Research at Case Western Reserve University has found that buildings that rock during an earthquake and return to plumb would withstand seismic shaking better than structural designs commonly used today in vulnerable zones of California and elsewhere.
Codes and Standards | Feb 18, 2015
USGBC concerned about developers using LEED registration in marketing
LEED administrators are concerned about a small group of developers or project owners who tout their projects as “LEED pre-certified” and then fail to follow through with certification.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2015
ASHRAE, USGBC, IES consider biomass requirements in green building standard
The proposal would add biomass to approved renewables.
Codes and Standards | Feb 12, 2015
New Appraisal Institute form aids in analysis of green commercial building features
The Institute’s Commercial Green and Energy Efficient Addendum offers a communication tool that lenders can use as part of the scope of work.
Codes and Standards | Feb 8, 2015
ASHRAE, IAQA approve consolidation
Under the consolidation, IAQA will become a part of the ASHRAE organization while maintaining its own brand and Board of Directors.
Codes and Standards | Feb 6, 2015
Obama executive order requires federal construction projects to consider flood damage caused by climate change
To meet the new standard, builders must build two feet above the currently projected elevation for 100-year floods for most projects.
HVAC | Feb 6, 2015
ASHRAE, REHVA publish guide to chilled beam systems
The guide provides tools and advice for designing, commissioning, and operating chilled-beam systems.