After the roof collapsed at the Thumper Pond Resort water park in Ottertail, Minn., last month, Minnesota media has highlighted the fact that many areas of the state do not enforce the state building code.
The roof collapse occurred around midnight on April 14 when the park was closed. There were no injuries. There were no high winds, snow, or other obvious causes indicating why the roof on the 10-year-old water park collapsed.
Many Minnesota governments outside the seven-county metro area that includes Minneapolis don't enforce the state building code, according to MPR News. That law requires inspections throughout a new construction process. But just 21 of the 87 Minnesota counties enforce it, according to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
Licensed contractors are required to build according to the state building code to construct a commercial or lodging facility in a remote area, but most of these projects proceed without a building official to provide oversight. Rural governments say they can’t afford to provide that service.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Mar 15, 2017
Energy Star program at risk
The standard-setting initiative for energy-efficient products may be a victim of Trump budget cuts.
Codes and Standards | Mar 14, 2017
Timber Innovation Act to promote tall wood buildings introduced in Congress
The measure has bipartisan support.
Codes and Standards | Mar 13, 2017
U.S. House and Senate have voted to repeal Dept. of Labor’s 'blacklisting' rule
The rule mandates labor compliance review for federal construction contractors.
Codes and Standards | Mar 9, 2017
WiredScore forms Connectivity Advisory Committee
The committee's creation is an important step forward for the group that evaluates internet connectivity in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Mar 8, 2017
New guide examines multifamily high-performance ventilation
The focus is on cost and performance of various systems.
Codes and Standards | Mar 7, 2017
Canada’s national building codes will encompass effects of climate change
Forecasted data, not historical data, will be used as the basis for the codes.
Codes and Standards | Mar 6, 2017
ConsensusDocs updates standard short contract editions
The updates address industry changes impacting insurance, legal, technology, and terminology.
Codes and Standards | Mar 3, 2017
ASCE updates standard for structures using tensile membrane
The new sstandard combines guidelines for conventional tensile membrane structures with frame-covered membrane structures.
Codes and Standards | Mar 1, 2017
EPA's 2017 Construction General Permit now in effect
The regulation governs compliance with effluent limits.
Codes and Standards | Feb 28, 2017
Concern grows for high tide flood vulnerability in Mid-Atlantic states
Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, Md., could flood every three days by 2045.
