The collapse of a condominium tower in Surfside, Fla., has spurred regulators and insurers to more carefully scrutinize the condition of other high-rise residential dwellings.
Miami-Dade County has increased oversight of buildings undergoing the mandatory 40-year recertification process. Residents of a residential tower in North Miami Beach were ordered to evacuate the structure after a review of a recent engineering report warned of safety concerns.
In San Francisco, media reports raised renewed concerns over the safety of the 58-story Millennium Tower, which has tilted and sunk 18-inches since its opening in 2009. The engineer for that structure says, however, that it was built to a more stringent standard and that comparisons with the Surfside tower are unfounded.
Insurers have demanded that several condo associations show proof of current inspections, according to the Miami Herald. The New York Times reported that Miami-Dade County officials were investigating 24 multistory buildings that failed 40-year inspections or hadn’t submitted required documentation.
Related Stories
| Jun 5, 2012
USGBC delays LEED 2012; renames it LEED v4
In response to concerns by LEED users, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it will delay the ballot on LEED 2012 until June 1, 2013.
| Jun 5, 2012
Baltimore officials vow to block $1.8 billion urban renewal project
Baltimore officials want to block a $1.8 billion urban renewal project until more neighborhood residents and minority contractors are hired and displaced residents can benefit from the revitalization.
| Jun 5, 2012
OSHA launches campaign to warn of heat dangers in outdoor work
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a campaign to warn outdoor workers about the dangers of heat exposure.
| Jun 5, 2012
AGC’s Safety and Health Conference focuses on regulations, legislation
More than 150 industry professionals and other attendees will participate in the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC’s) safety and health conference July 11-13 in Washington, D.C.
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| May 31, 2012
Proposed change in Michigan’s building code would hurt innovation, say critics
Legislation pending before the Michigan Senate would change the law that calls for building codes to be updated every three years to require an update only every six years.
| May 31, 2012
Natural gas industry opposes federal carbon-neutral construction rule
The natural gas industry and some allies are working to block a federal green building rule that was expected to be a national model for carbon-neutral construction.
| May 31, 2012
Lawsuits push the legal boundaries of green building definition
This article explores some legal issues stemming from lawsuits in which plaintiffs have charged developers with not delivering on a promised level of sustainability.
| May 31, 2012
ANSI approves Green Building Initiative’s design standard
The Green Building Initiative (GBI), a Portland, Ore. nonprofit organization, has had its new consensus-based standard for the design, construction, and operations of environmentally friendly buildings approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).