flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

In Houston, proposed rules would require building above 500-year flood level

Codes and Standards

In Houston, proposed rules would require building above 500-year flood level

Change would impact 85,739 pieces of property.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 5, 2018

City leaders in Houston are considering new floodplain rules that would require buildings to be built above the 500-year flood level.

Houston has experienced three “500-year floods” between 2015 and 2017. The current building code requires buildings to be able to withstand a 100-year flood.

The change would affect 85,739 pieces of property that were not previously in a regulated area. Some Hurricane Harvey victims are concerned that they would be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild their homes to the new standards.

Homes already in the rebuilding process, though, may not be affected.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Mar 12, 2018

L.A. mayor proposes mandatory seismic retrofits for steel buildings, daycare centers, private schools

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed a seismic retrofit requirement for vulnerable steel buildings built before the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Codes and Standards | Mar 8, 2018

Net zero commercial building trend shows strong momentum

Almost 50% more zero energy commercial buildings under construction in 2017.

Codes and Standards | Mar 7, 2018

Dept. of Energy says 2016 ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 would save 8.2% of energy costs

Favorable comparison to 2013 standard for commercial buildings.

Codes and Standards | Mar 6, 2018

Well Living Lab launches extensive study on how indoor environments affect people’s lives

Factors that impact health, performance, stress and resiliency, sleep, and comfort to be scrutinized.

Codes and Standards | Mar 5, 2018

New guide helps planners assess innovation districts

The document is designed to aid in targeting resources toward innovative and inclusive economic development based on an area’s unique strengths and challenges.

Codes and Standards | Mar 1, 2018

Net zero commercial building trend shows strong momentum

Almost 50% more zero energy commercial buildings under construction in 2017.

Codes and Standards | Feb 27, 2018

Smart surface solutions can improve disaster resilience, health and comfort in cities

Stormwater management, water quality, and heat island effect could all be impacted.

Codes and Standards | Feb 26, 2018

Bolstering energy efficiency would produce significant health benefits, ACEEE study says

Reducing energy consumption by 15% would save six lives a day.

Codes and Standards | Feb 22, 2018

GBCI will certify underwriting standard for energy efficiency projects

Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification aims to boost confidence in predicted energy and financial savings.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021