November 01, 2004 11:53 AM CST

Building Codes Upheld

By The News-Press

The Florida Building Commission on Tuesday adopted a revised statewide building code that maintains more-stringent standards for wind resistance on inland structures. State Treasurer Tom Gallagher championed the action in a last-minute flurry of warnings that the new building codes could endanger life and property...

Reinhold is vice president of engineering for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, one of two advocacy groups that for months had been working with the commission to keep the wind-resistance rules in place. Reinhold said without the amendment, a quarter to a third of the state would have been subject to building codes designed to withstand up to 100-mph winds instead of 110 mph.

The difference in those standards has been evident to Reinhold as he has studied the effects of Hurricane Charley.

"Some of the more spectacular damage was with unreinforced masonry structures" not built to current code, Reinhold said. "The houses that we did see that were... somewhat close to the newest standards did all right."

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About the Author

The News-Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper located in Fort Myers, Fla. serving primarily Lee County, as well as parts of Hendry, Collier, and Charollette Counties. Read The News-Press online at www.news-press.com.