Issue: DS-2015-135 Petitioner Robin Davies, PE, Representing Bracken
Engineering seeks a Declaratory Statement on the 5th Edition (2014)
Florida Building Code Existing Building, Sections 202, 502, 606, and 708.
Question:
1) Does the repair of roof coverings
performed in accordance with Chapter 6 of the 5th Edition
(2014) Florida Building Code, Existing
Building need to comply with the requirements of Section
708 Reroofing?
Background:
Bracken Engineering, Inc. is a consulting engineering firm located and licensed within the state of Florida. Bracken Engineering is currently in the process of investigating roof damage and offering repair recommendations for a house located in Spring Hill, Florida. The roof shingles of this home were damaged 'by hail stone impacts during a recent storm. Specifically, the hail damaged approximately 12 percent of the shingles on the east facing slope and approximately 15 percent of the shingles on the south facing slope, amounting to a total of 27 percent damaged shingles on the total roof. The Hernando County Property Appraiser's website lists the building value as $160,994. Petitioner seeks clarification as to whether repairs to roof coverings performed in accordance with Chapter 6 - Repairs, of the 5th Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, Existing Building would need to comply with the requirements of Section 708 Reroofing.
The petitioner respectfully believes that the answer to the questions is 'No' and the repair to the roof covering would be subject to Section 606.1.1 Nonstructural Repair. As can be seen in the sections cited above, the definition of Alteration explicitly excludes repairs the classification of work under Section 502.2 states that shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 6, and Section 606.2 states that repairs shall comply with section 606. The building is valued at $160,994 and as long as the repair does not exceed $40,248 the Nonstructural Repair may be made of the same material of which the building or structure is constructed.
Reference Material
5th
Edition (2014) FBC, Building
Chapter 2 Definitions
STRUCTURAL
DETERMINATION. For
purposes of this code, “structural” shall mean any part, material or assembly of
a building or structure which affects the safety of such
building or
structure and/or which supports any dead or designed live load and the removal
of which part, material or assembly could cause, or be expected to cause, all
or any portion to collapse or fail.
5th
Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, Existing Building Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Definitions
Alteration - Any construction or renovation to an existing structure other than a repair or addition.
Repair - The
restoration to good or sound condition of any part of an existing building for
the purpose of its maintenance.
SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. A condition where:
1. In any story, the
vertical elements of the lateral force resisting system have suffered damage
such that the lateral load-carrying capacity of the structure in any horizontal
direction has been reduced by more than 33 percent from its predamage
condition; or
2. The capacity of
any vertical gravity load-carrying component, or any group of such components,
that supports more than 30 percent of the total area of the structure’s
floor(s) and roof(s) has been reduced more than 20 percent from its predamage condition and the remaining
capacity of such
affected elements, with respect to all dead and live loads, is less than 75
percent of that required by this code for new buildings of similar structure,
purpose and location.
5th Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, Existing Building
Chapter 5
502.1 Scope. Repairs, as defined in Chapter 2, include the patching or restoration or replacement of damaged materials, elements, equipment or fixtures for the purpose of maintaining such components in good or sound condition with respect to existing loads or performance requirements.
502.2 Application. Repairs shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 6.
502.3 Related work. Work on nondamaged components that is necessary for the required repair of damaged components shall be considered part of the repair and shall not be subject to the provisions of Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11.
5th Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, Existing Building
Chapter 6
602.2 New and
replacement materials. Except as otherwise required or permitted by this
code, materials permitted by the applicable code for new construction shall be
used. Like materials shall be permitted for repairs and alterations, provided
no dangerous or unsafe condition, as defined in Chapter 2, is created.
Hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead-based paint, shall not be used
where the code for new construction would not permit their use in buildings of
similar occupancy, purpose and location.
606.1.1 Nonstructural repair. Nonstructural repair
exclusive of fixtures and furniture, the
cost
of which does not exceed 25 percent of the replacement value of the existing building or
structure,
with the approval of the building official may be made of the same material of
which the building or structure is constructed.
606.2 Repairs to damaged
buildings.
Repairs to damaged buildings shall comply with this section.
606.2.1
Repairs for less than substantial structural damage. For damage less than substantial structural damage, the
damaged elements shall be permitted to be restored to their predamage
condition.
606.2.2 Substantial
structural damage to vertical elements of the lateral force-resisting system. A building that has
sustained substantial structural damage to the vertical elements of its lateral
force-resisting system shall be evaluated in accordance with Section 606.2.2.1,
and
either
repaired in accordance with Section 606.2.2.2 or repaired and rehabilitated in
accordance with Section 606.2.2.3, depending on the results of the evaluation.
Exceptions:
1.
Buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category A, B, or C whose substantial
structural damage was not caused by earthquake need not be evaluated or
rehabilitated for load combinations that include earthquake effects.
2.
One- and two-family dwellings need not be evaluated or rehabilitated for load
combinations that include earthquake effects.
606.2.2.1 Evaluation. The building shall be
evaluated by a registered design professional, and the evaluation findings
shall be submitted to the code official.
The evaluation shall establish whether the damaged building, if repaired
to its predamage state, would comply with the
provisions of the Florida Building Code, Building for load combinations that
include wind or
earthquake
effects, except that the seismic forces shall be the reduced FBC-level seismic
forces.
606.2.2.2 Extent of repair
for compliant buildings. If the evaluation establishes
that the building in its predamage condition complies
with the provisions of Section 606.2.2.1, then the damaged elements shall be
permitted to be restored to their predamage
condition.
606.2.2.3 Extent of repair
for noncompliant buildings. If the evaluation does not establish that the building in its predamage condition complies with the provisions of Section
606.2.2.1, then the building shall be rehabilitated to comply with the
provisions of this section. The wind loads for the repair and rehabilitation
shall be those required by the building code in effect at the time of original
construction, unless the damage was caused by wind, in which case the wind
loads
shall be in accordance with the Florida Building Code, Building. The seismic
loads for this rehabilitation design shall be those required by the building
code in effect at the time of original construction, but not less than the
reduced FBC-level seismic forces.
606.2.3 Substantial
structural damage to gravity load-carrying components. Gravity load-carrying
components that have sustained substantial structural damage shall be
rehabilitated to comply with the applicable provisions for dead and live loads
in the Florida Building Code, Building. Snow loads shall be considered if the
substantial structural damage was caused by or related to snow load effects.
Undamaged gravity load-carrying components
that
receive dead, live or snow loads from rehabilitated components shall also be
rehabilitated if required to comply with the design loads of the rehabilitation
design.
606.2.3.1 Lateral
force-resisting elements. Regardless of the level of damage to gravity elements of the lateral
force-resisting system, if substantial structural damage to gravity
load-carrying components was caused primarily by wind or seismic effects, then
the building shall be evaluated in accordance with Section 606.2.2.1 and, if
noncompliant, rehabilitated in accordance
with
Section 606.2.2.3.
Exceptions:
1.
Buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category A, B, or C whose substantial
structural
damage
was not caused by earthquake need not be evaluated or rehabilitated for load combinations
that include earthquake effects.
2.
One- and two-family dwellings need not be evaluated or rehabilitated for load
combinations
that
include earthquake effects.
606.2.4 Flood hazard areas. In
flood hazard areas, buildings that have sustained substantial damage shall be
brought into compliance with Section 1612 of the Florida Building Code,
Building or Section R322 of the Florida Building Code, Residential, as
applicable.
5th Edition (2014) Florida
Building Code, Existing Building Chapter 7
708.1 General. Materials and methods of
application used for recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall
comply with the requirements of Chapter 15 of the Florida Building Code,
Building or Chapter 9 of the Florida Building Code, Residential. Roof repairs
to existing roofs and roof coverings shall comply with the provisions of this
code.
Exception: Reroofing shall not be
required to meet the minimum design slope requirement of 1/4:12 in Section 1507
of the Florida Building Code, Building for roofs that provide positive roof
drainage (high-velocity hurricane zones shall comply with Sections 1515.2.2.1
and 1516.2.4 of the Florida Building Code, Building).
708.1.1. Not more than 25 percent of
the total roof area or roof section of any existing
building
or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period
unless the entire roofing system or roof section conforms to requirements of
this code .
Staff Analysis
Question: Does
the repair of roof coverings performed in accordance with Chapter 6 of the 5th
Edition (2014) Florida Building Code, Existing Building need to comply with the
requirements of Section 708 Reroofing?
Answer (Option #1/Staff): No, as per Section 606.2.1 of the 5th Edition (2014) FBC, Existing
Building “the Code), the project in question is permitted to be restored to its
predamage condition without meeting the requirements
of Section 708.1.1 of the Code. Building
materials to be used in the restoration of the project in question must be in
accordance with Section 602.2 of Code.
Answer (Option #2/Petitioner): The petitioner respectfully believes that the answer to the questions is 'No' and the repair to the roof covering would be subject to Section 606.1.1 Nonstructural Repair. As can be seen in the sections cited above, the definition of Alteration explicitly excludes repairs the classification of work under Section 502.2 states that shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 6, and Section 606.2 states that repairs shall comply with section 606. The building is valued at $160,994 and as long as the repair does not exceed $40,248 the Nonstructural Repair may be made of the same material of which the building or structure is constructed.