AIA Applauds Withdrawal Of Amendment To South Carolina Building Code Affecting Hurricane Resistance

Atlanta, GA - An amendment to the International Residential Code (IRC) that would make newly constructed homes in South Carolina's coastal counties more susceptible to windstorm damage was withdrawn by proponents and not considered during recent meeting of the state's Building Codes Council, a move applauded by the American Insurance Association (AIA).

In comments to the Council, AIA opposed an amendment expected to be offered by the SC Home Builders Association and others to weaken the 2006 IRC. The Building Codes Council is in the process of adopting the 2006 editions of both the IRC and the International Building Code for commercial structures. "The IBC and IRC represent the best and most current technical knowledge on building wind resistant structures," said Raymond G. Farmer, AIA assistant vice president, Southeast Region. "Building codes should not be weakened without strong compelling evidence, especially in a state where homes and businesses are subject to catastrophic hurricanes. We are pleased that the amendment's supporters reconsidered and withdrew their support."

The amendment would have allowed homes to be designed to withstand higher internal pressure, instead of requiring the IRC's wind borne debris protections for windows and doors. While substituting a stronger engineering design in order to keep the basic structure intact even when doors and windows fail is laudable, it falls short of necessary hurricane protection for consumers. "When windows and doors fail, substantial amounts of rain will enter the home, causing damage to contents, insulation, electrical systems and wall coverings, making the home unlivable for an extensive period of time," said Farmer. "In contrast, strong wind borne debris protections, as contained in the IRC, minimize damage and allow families to remain in their homes."

AIA also urged the Council to reject any other amendments that would weaken the code, including a proposal to lower the minimum construction standards for homes built in areas of both moderate and high earthquake risk, such asColumbiaandCharleston, respectively.

AIA supports strong building codes – with no opt-out features – for the entire Atlantic andGulfCoasts. They are a key to reducing hurricane damage, and can make the difference between a community recovering relatively quickly from disaster, and a community remaining devastated and economically stagnant for months or longer. From an insurance perspective, building codes and other mitigation initiatives, such as effective land use planning and retrofitting of older homes and businesses, help preserve market capacity, reduce solvency risk, and can enhance insurer ability to cover more risks.

SOURCE: American Insurance Association