Our interpretations of the many codes and standards in our engineering industry
FEMA publishes a website that allows you to look up your flood zone by address or coordinates. Visit the site and search for your zone by clicking here or visiting https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home The site also has a full range of flood risk maps, reports, and database by city, jurisdiction, and other useful filters. Find these maps …
FAQ: Where can I find the flood zone my house or project is in? Read More »
Installing A Railing Around Mechanical Equipment? It could be easier than you think. Railings around mechanical equipment, as opposed to general use pedestrian railings, can be designed to a different standard. These types of railing include those that protect: • Roofs of commercial buildings • Industrial facilities • Mechanical rooms Railing systems of all kinds …
What’s Different About Designing a Railing For Rooftop Mechanical Equipment? Read More »
About Product Approval Expiration Dates State approvals are valid until a change in the product changes decreases the product’s performance, the standards or Code changes or the product is suspended or revoked. Remember, the date of a permit typically governs the use of a product approval. An approval may have expired under a new code, …
When Does a Florida Or Miami Dade NOA Product Approval Expire? Read More »
When A Glazed Opening Isn’t Exactly Square Often times a glazing product is approved for large missile impact, but requires a field modification for size. While the tested span cannot be exceeded and still meet the building code’s large missile impact requirements, the aspect ratio (the length to width ratio) can be altered so long …
Glass Aspect Ratio Limitations in Florida’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) Read More »
Fences – An Overview Fences serve multiple purposes, from enhancing privacy and security to defining property boundaries and improving aesthetics. However, a well-designed fence isn’t just about appearance, it must also comply with building codes to ensure safety, durability, and structural integrity. This article explores common fence designs and the key regulations that apply to …
Understanding Fence Design: Key Considerations and Code Requirements Read More »
How To Apply For A Retrofit Window-Door-Garage Door Permit In South Florida Dade, Broward & Palm Beach Counties have adopted a unique set of rules for permitting window and door replacements (alteration level 1). While there are variations between cities, counties, & states, these requirements are similar. Alteration Level 1 Defined: FBC/IBC existing building Section …
The Ultimate Guide To Creating A Window – Door Retrofit Permit Package In South Florida Read More »
Porosity – How ‘Open’ A Surface Is – Explained The porosity of open structures is defined in ASCE-7 standard under ‘open signs’ (chapter 29, as of ASCE 7-22). This standard explains that the permeable (wind) porosity of a surface isn’t always equivalent to the calculated visual porosity. Left: mechanically articulating louvers that can reach a …
How To Calculate Porosity of a Louver – Sign – Fence Per ASCE 7 Read More »
To determine the wind speed to use for your project, visit the ASCE Hazard Tool. This tool allows input of a project address and also returns flood, snow, ice & seismic information. Additional notes: There are several ‘risk categories’ associated with a location that determine what wind speed to use. A building that’s a risk …
Binding Florida Code Interpretations As in other states, Florida’s Building Code is published on a regular cycle. In Florida, besides petitions for code changes, there are questions asked to the state for clarifications to unclear sections or new issues that may arise. Those are called Declaratory Statements, which can be searched by clicking here. You …
ASCE 7 Risk Category Summary What Are The ASCE-7 Risk Categories? ASCE 7 provides the information needed to convert wind speed to wind pressure. Earlier versions of this code had factors applied to the end pressure when determining the severity of risk for a particular design. For example, there’s more need for an essential facility …
Here Are 3 Myths About Product Approval Requirements Background Product evaluations (sometimes called “product approvals”, “ICC reports”, Miami Dade NOA’s or similar) for building products are general requirements as found in the International Building Code. Building officials, architects, insurance companies, third-party reviewers, and even homeowners ask for them all the time. Permits frequently require …
PRODUCT APPROVALS ARE NOT ALWAYS REQUIRED! HERE’S WHY: Read More »
Learn How To Quickly Spot And Use QA Expiration & Code Dates On a Miami Dade NOA Why This Is So Important Miami Dade Lists an ‘Expiration Date’ on the cover page of their Miami Dade NOA’s, which is misunderstood and frequently misused. Many times the product being used is NOT Code compliant, even though …
Find more general help with Florida & Miami-Dade Product Approvals by visiting the support articles of EngineeringPlans.com. SEARCH PRODUCT APPROVALS Smart Search All Florida & Miami-Dade Product Approvals & Create Your Perfect Design Use Search Filters Visit EngineeringPlans.com for more Visit:
When designing outdoor structures like patio covers, one of the most critical factors to consider is the ability to support snow loads. In regions that experience significant snowfall, the weight of snow can exert considerable pressure on a structure, making it essential to understand how snow accumulates and affects different parts of a building. Two …
What’s the difference between ground and roof snow load for patio covers? Read More »
Summary of Building Code & Research Intent The intent & provisions of the 2018 International Building Code (IBC), 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) & 2020 Florida Building/Residential Codes are to establish minimum requirements to safeguard the public safety, health, and general welfare of occupants of new and existing buildings & structures. From 2022 / 2020 …
Performance Limitations for Mechanical Equipment & TER Certifications Read More »
Mechanical Equipment – Does It Need To Qualify For Large Missile Impact? Questions frequently arise as to what the rule is in Florida, Miami, and the HVHZ zone (Dade and Broward Counties, FL) under the Florida Building Code (FBC) for impact rating on mechanical equipment. The answer also has similar references in the International Building …
