LOUISIANA STATE FIRE MARSHAL UPDATE
THE FUTURE OF HIGH-RISE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IN LOUISIANA By: Ashley Rodrigue, State Fire Marshal Public Affairs Director
The tragic condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida, that has, so far, claimed the lives of about 100 people, has brought about a lot of questions here in Louisiana—Are high-rise buildings inspected for structural integrity? If they are, how frequently are they inspected? If they’re not, why not? Should occupants of Louisiana’s high-rise buildings be concerned about the safety of their buildings? These are all relevant questions, and according to State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning, some of the answers are not good enough. “I truly believe this collapse was preventable with the right oversight and accountability in place and enforced,” said Browning, “Every one of us in the building industry should be looking at our own oversight and accountability measures right now and that goes for public and private entities. What I see in Louisiana is lacking.”
Merit Shop Message | Summer 2021
Currently, all codes adopted by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council (LSUCCC), pertaining to structural inspections of high-rise buildings, relate to new construction or renovations of existing structures only. Chapter 17 of the International Building Code (IBC) addresses special inspections and tests concerning highrise structures but has no mention of annual or multi-year inspections.
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The NFPA 1 Fire Code addresses instances where structural elements with visible damage can be cited by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), resulting in a required technical analysis and potential repair if that analysis reveals repairs needed, but there is no requirement establishing a frequency of reinspection. Browning wants to see that changed. “I believe there should be serious conversations underway at the Capitol shortly, if not already, about establishing a statewide, required inspection schedule and standard for structural reviews of all buildings in our state that are six stories or more.”
Browning says that evaluation would be conducted by the state, as opposed to the AHJs that conducted those initial reviews on new construction, but the burden would be on the building owner to maintain the schedule. However, several AHJs across the state are already reviewing their existing recertification schedules and standards in light of the Florida incident. In addition, Browning says, similar to the LSUCCC’s registry for certified building inspectors, the state would maintain a repository of these records, and when building owners fail to meet their obligation to have the review done in the required timeframe, or if a review finds repairs are needed but are not being addressed, the accountability arm would be the state’s court system. “Of course, these are off-the-cuff ideas which is why we are hoping the construction community will be engaged in this conversation as it moves forward,” said Browning, “As always, we all have a hand in ensuring safety, and this is just our latest chance to step forward and prove that commitment to building safety.” We hope you will be part of this movement to bring about more confidence in our state’s high-rise structures. Stay tuned for ways to get involved!
