Florida Building Code

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About Impact Requirements & Mechanical Equipment in the Florida Building Code & Essential Facilities

Mechanical Equipment – Impact or Not 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 Code (IBC) for impact areas …

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What are editorial changes to products registered in the Florida Product Approval System?

Editorial changes are permitted within the state product approval system when an approved product is modified but no additional uploads are needed, and there is no change to the number of products or product performance. This is a limited revision, and should only be used when fixing items such as: Typographical errors Changes to the …

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About Door Product Pressure Ratings and Water Infiltration

QUESTION: Why do certain door products rate a certain p.s.f like -60/+60 then lower ratings are shown throughout the product approval?   Usually, the higher door pressure performance are not taking the water testing & infiltration conditions into consideration.  A deeper search into the evaluation will likely reveal limitations of performance if water infiltration is …

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What are Limitations of Small & Large Missile Impact Designs?

We are frequently asked what are the limitations applied on Small Missile Impact and Large Missile Impact products. Engineering Express takes into consideration the following code limitations while preparing design charts for operable windows/glass doors and non-operable windows/glass doors:  Referencing Florida Building Code Seventh Edition, (2020) Chapter 2411.3.2.4.i & 1709.5.1.3.i for Operable Windows and Glass …

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About ASTM E1996-17 Missile Levels

Overview As of the 2020 Florida Building Code & 2018 International Building Code, ASTM E1996-17 is the adopted reference standard.  The title is ‘Standard Specification for Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors, & Impact Protective Systems Impacted by Windborne Debris in Hurricanes’. (Exterior garage doors & rolling doors are covered by ANSI/DASMA 115 & …

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About AAMA 2100 and Sunroom Categories

Sunrooms across the US are categorized into 5 categories.  AAMA published these in their AAMA/NPEA/NSA 2100-12 publication which made its way into the Florida & International Building Codes.  FBC (17, 20) lists this in Chapter 20 section 2002.6 directly siting the AAMA/NPEA/NSA 2100 spec. IBC 2015/2018 References AAMA 2100 in  IRC Chapter 44 Please refer …

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Requirements of Plan Reviewers When Denying Permits & Alternate Methods FBC-IBC Section 104.11

Florida Statute 555.79(1)(a) lists the requirements and penalties of building plan reviewers when they issue comments and deny permit applications. Here’s an excerpt from that section with a link to the source file here: FS 553.79 Permits; applications; issuance; inspections.— (1)(a) … Whenever a permit required under this section is denied or revoked because the plan, or …

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ASCE 7 Risk Categories Explained

ASCE 7 Risk Category Background Building codes require that buildings be classified by their level of importance in determining the risk taken with safety factors against their failure under critical design loads. Calculations for the structure’s overall stability, flexure, and fatigue are all based on the assumption of a given risk category design level.  ASCE …

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Is a large missile impact window or door automatically approved for small missile impact?

Overview Changes to the 2020 Florida Building Code for Porous Impact Protection Devices Porous Impact Protective Systems: ASTM E1996-12A brought a significant change to Porous Impact Protective Systems (PIPS). A Porous Impact Protective System is defined as “An assembly whose aggregate open area exceeds 10% of its projected surface area”. Prior to ASTM E1996-12A, any …

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