More than half of residential and commercial properties in Houston that are at high or moderate risk of flooding are not included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), according to CoreLogic.
Properties outside those zones don't need flood insurance, so many flood victims of Hurricane Harvey will not have access to insurance reimbursements to make repairs. About 52% of residential and commercial properties in the Houston metro are at “High” or “Moderate” risk of flooding, but are not in a (SFHA), CoreLogic says.
Less than two weeks before Harvey, President Trump did away with the Obama-era Federal Flood Risk Management Standard that required federally funded construction in flood-prone areas to be built to higher resilience standards. There are concerns that rebuilding in Houston will not be done according to the more stringent standards that in some cases require structures to be built at higher elevations.
FEMA had proposed that most construction projects using federal funds be built 2 feet above the 100-year floodplain. Hospitals and other "critical action" projects would have been required to be built 3 feet above that floodplain. The higher elevation could mean the difference between full hospital functionality and a complete failure of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems, according to an NBBJ healthcare partner quoted in a Modern Healthcare report.
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| Sep 8, 2011
Water Safety in Buildings Guide Published by World Health Organization (WHO)
This WHO book provides guidance for managing water supplies in buildings where people may drink water, use water for food preparation, wash, shower, swim or use water for other recreational activities or be exposed to aerosols produced by water-using devices, such as cooling towers.
| Sep 7, 2011
NFPA Fire & Life Safety Conference in December
Presentations on recent Fire Protection Research Foundation projects, how September 11th and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire affected high rise design, and a panel discussion on emerging code issues will be featured at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s Fire & Life Safety Conference on December 12-14 in Orlando, FL.The meeting will include more than 60 educational sessions in which participants can earn continuing education units (CEUs). Presentations will be led by NFPA staff experts and technical committee members, and will be organized in four tracks – building and life safety, detection and alarm, fire suppression, and codes and standards. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org/FLSCONF.
| Sep 1, 2011
Project Aims to Automate Code Compliance Assessment
FIATECH, a consortium of owners from the industrial, power, and retail markets that build large structures, launched a project this year to validate the use of automation technology for code compliance assessment, and to accelerate the regulatory approval process using building models. Long-term objectives include the development of an extensive, open-source rule set library that is approved by industry and regulatory bodies for use by technology developers and code officials.
| Sep 1, 2011
EPA Says Additional Lead Paint Cleaning Rules Not Necessary
The EPA has concluded that current Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (LRRP) cleaning requirements and lead-safe work regulations are sufficient to protect the public from lead dust hazards. “Our members have been instrumental in contacting legislators to detail the detrimental impact of the current LRRP," says Richard Walker, American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s president and CEO. “This collective industry voice has prompted the EPA to make the responsible decision to refrain from adding further, unnecessary costs to homeowners under the current economic climate."http://www.aamanet.org/news/1/10/0/all/603/aama-commends-its-members-congress-for-vacating-lrrp-clearance-rule
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
