A catastrophic event in Edgewater, New Jersey, in which a 408-unit apartment complex was gutted by fire, has inspired legislators to propose a moratorium on the materials and practices of "light frame construction."
"Two weeks after a fast-moving blaze nearly destroyed an Edgewater apartment complex, a bill introduced in the Assembly on Thursday calls for a moratorium on new multi-family developments using the same lightweight wood construction while the state evaluates its safety," reports Jean Rimbach.
Although there is still debate among legislators bout whether a moratorium is necessary, the bill would move quickly to put on hold "lightweight wood construction" and revise the building code for construction of multi-family apartments around the state. Rimbach provides the following details of how such a moratorium would be implemented and what kind of construction is in question:
- "The bill calls for the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs to evaluate the safety of light frame construction in multiple-unit dwellings, focusing on the hazards it poses in the event of a fire. Code would be revised based on the findings, prohibiting such construction in certain cases if appropriate."
- "The proposed legislation, in part, defines 'light frame construction' as any building method using metal-plate connected wood trusses or composite wood joists as floor or roof system structural elements.
Read the full story: Bill is introduced in N.J. Assembly for freeze on lightweight wood construction
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