Update 11:40 AM EST: The Florida Building Commission (FBC) removes proposed mandate for lightning protection systems per FHBA request. The FBC will establish a study group to determine need and fiscal impact.
Stay tuned for more information on the FBC lightning protection systems study group. For more information, contact Douglas Buck at dbuck@fhba.com.
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Today, June 13th, FHBA staff, including Douglas Buck, FHBA Director of Governmental Affairs, and Joe Belcher, FHBA Building Codes Expert, will attend the Florida Building Commission in Daytona Beach. Staff will work to address many amendments to the Florida Building Code, including a recently proposed mandate for commercial structures and any additions to structures in the State of Florida to have a lightning protection system.
This proposal increases regulation and potential construction costs, and revokes the choice of including such systems from the builder. The Rinker School of Construction Management of the University of Florida prepared a study on the potential fiscal impact of “Prescriptive Code Changes.” Click here to review the study.
FHBA staff, aware of this issue, are working on a strategy that will advocate the best lightning protection system for builders.
Stay tuned for updates on this issue. For more information, contact Douglas Buck at dbuck@fhba.com.