New York City recently made over 600 major updates and thousands of smaller changes to its construction codes—the first such wholesale revamping since 2014.
The changes are “intended to improve safety for New Yorkers, and incorporate the latest in building technologies,” according to a statement from the city. “The new codes use the highest international standards for the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings as a baseline, while continuing our city’s proud tradition of implementing additional enhancements to ensure we have among the strongest building regulations anywhere in the world.”
Revisions include:
· Increased material choices available to builders by expanding the use of sustainable building materials such as cross-laminated timber and structural composite lumber.
· Expansion of the applicability of flood zone requirements of the 100-year flood hazard area to all critical facilities (including fire, rescue, ambulance, police stations, and designated emergency shelters) located in the 500-year flood zone.
· Policies to support the use of alternative energy production processes including hydrogen fuel cells.
· Clear compliance criteria for elevator systems to ensure greater accessibility and usability for building occupants with physical and intellectual/developmental disabilities.
· Reduction of the required 8-foot basement clearance height for two-family homes to 7 feet to increase affordable housing opportunities.
· Permission to use netting, low barriers, and chain link fencing in lieu of solid fencing that creates blind tunnels for pedestrians.
· Creation of a new license type for advanced crane technology, such as articulating boom cranes and roto-telehandlers.
The updated code requirements will go into effect next year, with some regulations taking effect on Jan. 1, 2022.
Related Stories
| Aug 2, 2013
Threat of more powerful coastal storms could curtail development
Led by Stanford University’s Natural Capital Project, researchers mapped the intensity of hazards posed to communities living along America’s coastlines from rising seas and ferocious storms now and in the decades to come.
| Jul 26, 2013
AGC launches new coalition to help bring tax relief to construction sector
Associated General Contractor of America (AGC) has launched the Coalition for Fair Effective Tax Rates to bring tax relief to the construction sector.
| Jul 26, 2013
Legislation would revamp federal contracting policy impacting small design and construction firms
Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representative this month to ban reverse auctions when an agency determines small businesses are qualified to bid on the solicitation.
| Jul 26, 2013
Detroit’s problems may make blue infrastructure codes more likely
The City of Detroit’s financial problems may make it more likely to adopt blue infrastructure standards.
| Jul 26, 2013
Cities should reconsider rooming houses to build affordable housing stock, says expert
Building codes have effectively outlawed the bottom end of the private housing market, driving up rents on everything above it, argues the Sightline Institute's Alan Durning.
| Jul 17, 2013
WorldGBC, IFC pledge to rapidly scale up green construction in emerging markets
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) are collaborating to rapidly scale up the construction of green buildings in emerging markets.
| Jul 17, 2013
Louisiana governor signs $250 million bill for 29 community college projects
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law this month a bill that provides $251.6 million for 29 projects at Louisiana Community and Technical College campuses.
| Jul 17, 2013
U.S. House continues to block enforcement of light bulb standards
The House of Representatives last week voted to block the enforcement of light bulb standards that many say would effectively force people to buy more expensive compact fluorescent bulbs.
| Jul 17, 2013
Should city parking space requirements be abolished?
Some cities are deliberately discouraging construction of new parking spaces by allowing the construction of buildings with a lower ratio of parking spaces to dwellings (as low as 0.75 spaces per residence).
| Jul 17, 2013
EPA continues work on new federal stormwater regulations that are expected to impact development
The Environmental Protection Agency continues to develop new stormwater regulations that are expected to force project developers to write stormwater considerations into designs.