PENSACOLA MEETING, NOVEMBER
NOMINATIONS Opened
The IHPA Board of Directors held a General
Membership Meeting July 20 at the Hampton Inn, Pensacola Beach, FL. It
was the first Panhandle area meeting for the IHPA and was very well
received. More than 80 people attended the luncheon meeting.
Ed Carson, Florida Building Commissioner, was the
guest speaker and delivered an informative presentation regarding the
Panhandle Windborne Exemption. Joe Belcher, IHPA Code Consultant, also
spoke on this topic. The impact of recent hurricane seasons upon the
insurance industry and the resulting crisis was also discussed at the
meeting. For more information on the Panhandle Windborne Exemption and
how it will affect your business visit the IHPA Web site:
www.inthpa.com.
The next scheduled meeting is slated for November 8
at Brooks Restaurant in Pompano Beach, FL. Nominations for officers and
directors for two-year terms will be taken at this meeting. Additional
details will be made available soon and will be posted to the IHPA Web
site.
CODE UPDATE: MOST IHPA MODIFICATIONS
APPROVED BY FBC
The Florida Building Commission (FBC) met in
Hollywood, FL, July 9 to 12. During the code change rule development
workshop, all proposed modifications submitted by the IHPA code
consultant, with the exception of those mandating permits and
inspections, were approved by the full Commission. A formal rulemaking
hearing will be conducted during the August 20 to 23 meetings in Miami.
If the Commission decides to make any changes, it
will be necessary to publish a Notice of Change and to conduct at least
one, and possibly two, additional hearings. To date, the IHPA changes
have not been challenged. In addition, changes to the definition of the
wind-borne debris region in the Florida Panhandle and the definition of
Exposure Category C should be of interest to IHPA members.
Changes of interest to the hurricane protection
industry scheduled for implementation as part of the 2006 Supplement
include:
• Inclusion of side-hinged doors from garages as part
of means of escape.
• Providing safety factor for impact resistant
covering testing (1.5 times DP ±).
• AAMA 506, Hurricane Impact and Cycle Testing of
Fenestration Products.
• Wood Structural Panels—Clarifies precutting of wood
structural panels to fit openings; requires pre-drilling of panels;
requires attachment hardware be provided; requires permanently
installed corrosion resistant hardware; increases size of screws;
increases capacity of screws into masonry from 496 to 1,500 pounds;
eliminates use of nails; increases allowable height from 33 to 45 feet;
increases basic wind speed from 130 mph to 140 mph.
• ASTM 1886 may use 2000 or 2005 Edition.
• ASTM 1996 may use 2002 or 2005 Edition.
PANHANDLE EXEMPTION REMOVED
The Florida legislature removed the statutory
definition of the wind-borne debris region in the Florida Panhandle
from statute in the recently ended 2006 session. As previously
authorized by the legislature, the FBC contracted with Applied Research
Associates (ARA) to study the Panhandle Exemption issue and make
recommendations. The Commission adopted the recommendation of the ARA
study to designate the wind-borne debris region in the Panhandle as the
areas seaward of the 130 mph wind speed contour line from Figure 1609.
(Formerly defined as within one mile of the coast from Franklin County
east to Alabama.) In addition to areas seaward of the 130 mph contour
line, areas within 1,500 feet of the coastline of bays are designated
wind-borne debris regions. The net effect of the change is to increase
the areas in the Florida Panhandle which will require the protection of
exterior glazing.
In addition to redefining the wind borne debris
region, the Commission modified the definition of Exposure Category C.
The new definition will result in more areas being designated Exposure
Category C with the net effect for the typical single-family dwelling
being a 15 to 20 percent increase in design pressures. The increase for
taller buildings will range from 30 to 50 percent.
IMPLEMENTATION DATES CHANGED
The FBC also modified various implementation dates:
• The 2006 Supplement scheduled for implementation
March 1, 2007, was changed to December 1, 2006.
• The modified Exposure Category C definition will be
part of the 2006 Supplement enacted December 1, 2006.
• The revised definition of the wind-borne debris
region will be implemented March 1, 2007.
• The implementation of the Florida Building Code
2007 was changed from January 1, 2009, to October 1, 2008. With the
implementation of the Florida Building Code, 2007 Edition, the option
for designing for increased internal pressure (partially enclosed) in
lieu of protecting glazing will be eliminated.
IHPA SUPPORTS EDUCATIONAL GOALS OF
DISASTER SURVIVAL HOUSE
Twenty-eight days into the 2006 hurricane season,
Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, hosted a media
day event at the Disaster Survival House in Deerfield Beach, FL. The
event was intended to inform the media about the importance of
hurricane preparedness and what needs to be done in preparation for
each hurricane season.
“Residents in South Florida should be leading the
whole nation in preparing for hurricanes,” said Mayfield. “The Disaster
Survival House encompasses a culture of preparedness where individuals
can go to learn about hurricane survival.”
The two-hour event kicked off with key speakers such
as Mayfield and Erik Salna, project coordinator for the Disaster
Survival House, discussing the importance of hurricane safety and
preparation. During a guided tour of the house, the media were able to
interview various hurricane experts about specific things that can be
done to prepare families and homes from hurricanes. Among these experts
were Frank Lepore, public affairs officer, National Hurricane Center;
and Bill Feeley, president, IHPA.
“The Disaster Survival House was designed to help
educate and inform people on how to properly plan and prepare for
disastrous types of weather conditions, such as hurricanes,” said
Salna. The House is the home base for Hurricane Warning!, a tax-exempt
non-profit organization that teaches hurricane and disaster mitigation,
safety and preparedness to children, families, seniors, students and
businesses.
This education program is taught through a tour that
features a hurricane laboratory, examples of window protection and wind
tunnel demonstrations. Hurricane tracking, flooding, storm surge,
lightning, boating safety, generator safety, safe room and disaster
preparedness planning are covered in the new educational tour. In
addition, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes are
regularly scheduled.
The Disaster Survival House has now been transformed
into an all-hazards learning center. Formerly the State Farm Good
Neighbor House, it is a 3,300-square-foot, three-bedroom residential
home built to withstand major hurricane-force winds. Many rooms have
ceiling and wall cutaways that show fortified construction and safety
features to minimize property loss. In fact, it is designated a
Fortified Home by the Institute of Business and Home Safety (IBHS).
IHPA AT SEBC
The IHPA and Hurricane Protection magazine exhibited
at the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) held at the Orange County
Convention Center, Orlando, FL, August 3 to 5. This year’s show
featured 1,039 exhibitors.
IHPA and Hurricane Protection displayed in the
show’s Hurricane Alley, which featured more than 60 exhibiting
companies offering products and services Florida builders need to
comply with the state’s building code and protect homeowners from the
effects of a hurricane or natural disaster.
SEBC drew a record crowd of more than 16,000
visitors within the building industry. Next year’s show is set for July
12 to 14.