This Week's Codes and Standards, March 26

National Roofing Contractors Assn., Releases Updates to its Roof Wind Designer App

The National Roofing Contractors Association recently made significant updates to its Roof Wind Designer. The online wind-load calculator is intended to offer roofing professionals an easy way to determine roof systems' design wind loads for many common building types that are subject to code compliance. The free web-based application has been updated to include changes made to ASCE 7, “Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.”
 
There were changes to basic wind maps, new roof zone layouts, and to pressure coefficients. Roof Wind Designer also added the ability to perform wind-load calculations for the 2016 version of ASCE 7, and enables users to choose between three versions of the standard: ASCE 7-05, ASCE 7-10, and ASCE 7-16.
 
The 2016 version of the application also can be used on flat buildings up to 160 feet tall using the standard's Chapter 30, Part 4: Buildings with 60ft < h ≤ 160ft (Simplified). For more information, visit www.roofwinddesigner.com.

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Washington State Moving to Promote Mass Timber Construction with Legislation

 
Washington State lawmakers are taking measures to promote the use of mass timber construction. Washington, which has a significant timber industry, has already adopted a law directing the state’s building code council to adopt rules for mass timber products for residential and commercial building construction. The law will spread the regulatory framework for widespread adoption of mass timber buildings.
 
A bill in the legislature would require that all public buildings in the state rising 12 stories or less be built using Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). Should it become law, it would be the first in the country requiring mass timber construction.
 
The bill is currently in committee, and legislators have not provided a timeline for when it may be enacted.

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California Man Charged with Faking Engineering Plans

A Huntington Beach, Calif., man has been accused of faking engineering documents for construction projects between 2003 and 2014 in Southern California. The accused and another man allegedly created fake engineering documents and used the name and logo of a real engineering firm to appear legitimate.
 
The pair allegedly used Palos Verdes Engineering Co.’s name and logo in a scheme to pass off documents as if they had been prepared, reviewed, and approved by a licensed civil engineer. The plans were used on residential room additions, new single-family homes, and two-story duplexes, according to authorities.

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Idaho County Rebels Against State Building Code

County Commissioners in Kootenai County, Idaho voted 2 to 1 in December to reject the state’s update of the building code. Now, the officials are trying to figure out what to do next, as the county faces legal jeopardy for refusing to impose the state mandated updates.
 
One option under consideration is to adopt the codes with an opt-out provision for properties of larger than five acres. Another possibility is making the code voluntary. High construction volume, escalating land values, material and labor cost escalations, and a backlog at review agencies has led to the building code rebellion.

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Major Fire in New Wood-Frame Apartment Project Unlikely to Lead to Code Changes

A major fire at a five-story apartment complex under construction in Denver is unlikely to lead to changes in the building code. Colorado’s building codes already mandate that all wood-framed multi-family complexes have sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers at specified locations, access to exits, and doors that resist flames for at least two hours.
 
Sprinklers cannot be installed until there is heat in the building, however, and the structure is vulnerable to fire until that point. A Denver building official says he doesn’t foresee any changes in the building code resulting from the fire.

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