flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse

Codes and Standards

Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse

Regulations call for three-year inspections, new construction standards


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | July 16, 2015
Berkeley, Calif., adopts balcony inspection program following deadly collapse

Photo: Berkeley City Hall. Almonroth, Wikimedia Commons.

Apartment building balconies in Berkeley, Calif., will be subject to inspections every three years under new regulations adopted following a deadly collapse.

The city council also adopted a measure to require new balconies to be made of corrosion-resistant material and be ventilated to prevent a buildup of moisture.

Six students were killed and seven others were hospitalized when the apartment balcony collapsed during a birthday party in June.

Inspectors said the balcony was supported by wooden beams that rotted from water damage. Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the collapse.

Related Stories

HVAC | Feb 6, 2015

ASHRAE, REHVA publish guide to chilled beam systems

The guide provides tools and advice for designing, commissioning, and operating chilled-beam systems.

Codes and Standards | Feb 2, 2015

AGC working with EPA on website to help with environmental rule compliance

The goal is for the site to be improved to make it easier for construction contractors to learn how to comply with federal and state environmental guidelines.

| Feb 2, 2015

New York law requires informing firefighters of wood truss construction

New York enacted a law that could make firefighting a bit safer by mandating property owners inform government and first-responders when they build or rehabilitate a building using "truss-type" pre-engineered wood or timber.

| Jan 14, 2015

Ontario code changes boost accessibility for people with disabilities

The new amended Ontario building code includes several provisions that improve accessibility for those with disabilities.

| Jan 14, 2015

American Concrete Institute releases Spanish edition of structural concrete code

New York City last year adopted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommendation to require additional exit stairways in high-rise buildings.

| Jan 14, 2015

Terrorism Risk Insurance Act renewed

President Barack Obama signed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act law on Jan. 12.

| Jan 9, 2015

Academy of Art in San Francisco under fire for code violations

The fast-growing Academy of Art is under intense scrutiny by the City of San Francisco for code violations.

| Jan 9, 2015

New law mandates storm shelters in Illinois schools

An Illinois law took effect on Jan. 1 that requires all new and remodeled schools to have storm shelters.

| Jan 9, 2015

New OSHA regulations on reporting workplace deaths, hospitalizations take effect

As of Jan. 1, all employers under the jurisdiction of OSHA are required to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours.

| Jan 9, 2015

Zoning policy makes Bethesda, Md., a model walkable suburb

In sharp contrast to most suburban communities in the Washington, D.C. area, Bethesda, Md., stands out as a fine exemplar of the new urbanism ethos.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021