Changes to the Florida Building Code and new floodplain maps will mean buildings in the state will have to be built at higher elevations.
Nonresidential buildings will have to be built at 9.5 feet, two feet higher than current requirements. Houses will have to be built at 8.5 feet, a foot higher than what is currently required.
The state building code is expected to incorporate the changes in December after adoption by the Florida Legislature. In Palm Beach, new FEMA maps and changes to the town’s flood ordinances and zoning code must be adopted by early October for the town to remain eligible for federal funds through the National Flood Insurance Program.
Palm Beach officials recently indicated that businesses and residents who have secured building permits but have not yet started construction may build to the higher elevation without facing a penalty.
Related Stories
| Jan 26, 2012
Industry challenges Connecticut's suit over defective construction work
The dispute arose over multimillion-dollar leaks at the University of Connecticut's law library.
| Jan 26, 2012
Earthquake 'fuse' could save buildings during temblors
The idea is to use an earthquake "fuse" that can prevent the tiny fractures and warps that make structures unsafe after a quake and very expensive to repair.
| Jan 26, 2012
HPD open materials standard for green building materials gains momentum
GreenWizard, provider of a cloud-based product management and project collaboration software, is the latest industry participant to sign on
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
| Jan 18, 2012
Chile's seismic code upgrades credited with saving lives in 2010 quake
Since 1960, when Chile suffered a 9.5 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded; the country has steadily improved building codes to protect lives and property.
| Jan 18, 2012
Report analyzes residential hurricane codes in 18 states
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report analyzing residential building codes in 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.
| Jan 18, 2012
Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code
The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.
| Jan 18, 2012
California approves open cell spray foam for energy efficiency standards
The California Energy Commission (CEC) now recognizes open-cell spray foam as an accepted insulation in its 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
| Jan 5, 2012
Building to LEED standards now an 'easy call' from cost standpoint
Once seen as a cost burden, building to LEED standards is now an "easy call," according to Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability for real estate management and development firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
| Jan 5, 2012
Minnesota's GreenStep Cities program aids communities in winning grants
GreenStep Cities, a Minnesota initiative, was designed to provide greater recognition to the state's communities for achievements in meeting sustainability standards and goals.
