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I’m not much of a writer, being an Architect, I think it must come from the wrong side of my brain or something.  But I’m going to give it a go and see where it leads. Maybe this will be an outlet that keeps me sane when there is so much craziness around me.

Who knows where this blog will go – certainly not me.

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Building Codes and the Nanny State

Building codes are getting ridiculous. The people who write, or perhaps more correctly edit, the codes every three years have gone over the edge.

In the 1980’s the building code we used in Galveston was a rather small three ring binder.  Seems like it was about 200 or so pages printed on both sides.

Today the library of International Codes fills an entire bookshelf.

Everything from how many air changes per hour there will be in a Nail Salon to tamperproof, arc fault protected electrical outlets is specified.  The Code Council keeps pushing for fire sprinklers in every building.  In Texas, the legislature pushed back by prohibiting cities and counties from requiring them in residential construction. Fire sprinklers are not the last word in protecting property from damage.  I was visiting with a contractor engaged in a big fire damage job – the fire did about $200,000 in direct damage.  Water from the sprinklers added another several million dollars to the repair bill.

The changes made every three years are so numerous and cumbersome that the construction industry hasn’t adjusted to the 2009 code when the 2012 code is published.

Three years is too short a cycle. And every tragedy reported in the newspapers does not need to have a response embodied in the building codes. Most of the tragedies reported are the result of cumulative failures including lack of inspections during construction and after occupancy, numerous violations of the fire codes while the building is occupied, impeded exits and the number of occupants exceeding that which the building was designed to accommodate. Alcohol impaired occupants often figure prominently in these tragedies. There should be some relationship between the societal cost of accidents and the cost of prevention. Accidents will happen.  Some will be tragic.  Should the entire industry change the way we build things? Not necessarily.

Of course, one has to believe that it is also about selling the books and bolstering the bottom line of the International Code Council.

All the changes in the Code do not become apparent until the books have been published, the officials have been trained, and all the seminars attended.  By then, the next round of changes is underway.  At the very least the Council should publish the book describing important changes to the Code long before, and not after, the Code becomes available for adoption.

Any state or local agency that requires compliance with the “most recent edition” should change their enabling legislation and adopt a certain edition. Laziness on the part of regulators is not a good thing.  If a new code is going to be adopted, it should be an affirmative act based on an evaluation of the new code, not a default automatic adoption.

The people who write (edit) the codes need to slow way down, make fewer, more meaningful changes, stop burying requirements in the wrong chapters and be less reactive to isolated events.  Yes, we want safer buildings and the building codes should lead the way – but don’t cripple the construction industry in the process.

The Problem With Palapas

Palapas are those thatch roofed huts that look so great on a tropical island like Galveston.  With a roof made out of palm branches lashed to a wooden frame, they are resistant to windstorms, shed water, rustle ever so softly in the breeze and just generally send us into an immediate state of vacation bliss. And the palapa sales team has hit Galveston in full force.

Up and down the Seawall, at hotels and pools and backyards across the Island, palapas are popping up like so many mushrooms after last month’s monsoon rains.

So what’s the problem? Well, every now and then one of these palapas catches on fire. If not properly treated with flame retardant they burst into flame like a grass fire after a drought.  Should you be unlucky enough to be under one or nearby, the consequences could be tragic if not downright deadly.

Safety regulations require that roof materials meet certain requirements with respect to flammability.  To ensure that the requirements are met, the materials have to be tested and evaluated. Manufacturers of roofing materials send their products to special laboratories to have this work done.  Only palm leaves are not manufactured and there are no tests to determine if a palm leaf, treated with a fire retardant, will meet the minimum requirements for safety.

The sales person will tell you that the leaves are treated with a spray on fire retardant. But how can you be sure that what is coming out of the sprayer is a retardant and not just water?  Fire retardants have to be re-applied to the palm leaves regularly to maintain effectiveness.

What about restaurants and bars?  These types of establishments are required to meet many safety regulations from the number and size of exits required to the type of alarm systems.  Larger ones are required to have fire sprinklers.  Wouldn’t they be safe? Generally, no.  Fire sprinklers spray water, which gravity will pull down to the ground, it is nearly impossible to protect a flammable roof with sprinklers. And fire sprinklers are set off by heat, which rises.  Sprinklers under a fire may not get hot enough to discharge before the fire gets too big. Putting a hundred or so folks under a highly flammable roof just isn’t a good idea. Open flame tiki torches marking the entrance is an even worse idea.

So should palapas be allowed, and if so, under what conditions?

I’ll preface this by saying that I love palapas and one of my favorite vacation spots features a large restaurant under a beautiful palapa.

The conditions which would make a commercial palapa less dangerous are these:

• The occupancy under the palapa roof is limited to no more than 100 persons
• The number and size of required exits are doubled
• No open flames under the palapa or within 25 feet
• No other buildings within 40 feet

Backyard palapas should either be made from synthetic materials (manufactured to be flame retardant) or kept 25 feet or more from any nearby structure.  Putting your charcoal or gas grille underneath is not a good idea.

Officials having jurisdiction over construction need to work with the community to find ways to incorporate palapas into our Island architecture – but they must ensure that safety  is not compromised.  A tough challenge indeed. And the palapa that catches fire may ignite its neighbors as well.

So if you find yourself enjoying a meal or beverage in a tropical breeze under the palm thatched roof of a palapa, just remember to sit near the exit.