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NIST Issues Final Joplin Tornado Report | Industry News |
Builder Confidence Treads Water in March | Regional U.S. News |
FEMA Supports High-Wind Safe Rooms | International News |
Sustainability News |
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NIST Issues Final Joplin Tornado Report, Begins Effort to Improve Codes and Standards The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the final report on its technical investigation into the impacts of the May 22, 2011, tornado that struck Joplin, Mo. The final report is strengthened by clarifications and supplemental text suggested by organizations and individuals from across the nation in response to the request for comments on the draft Joplin report, released Nov. 21, 2013. NIST will now work with the appropriate code development organizations to use the study's recommendations to improve model building codes and lay the foundation for nationally accepted standards. NIST also will work with organizations representing state and local governments, including building officials, to encourage them to consider implementing its recommendations. Continue reading story |
Builder Confidence Treads Water in March Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose one point to 47 on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index as builders continued to be affected by poor weather and difficulties in finding lots and labor. Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as "good," "fair" or "poor." The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as "high to very high," "average" or "low to very low." Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor. Continue reading story |
FEMA Focused on Life Safety Protection through the Support of High-Wind Safe Rooms The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Building Science Branch are focused on life safety protection through their long-term investment in high-wind safe room guidance. This investment aligns with their strategic goal to support disaster resilience and the ability of our local communities to withstand and recover rapidly from disasters. FEMA and the Branch are committed to creating a disaster-resilient America by being actively engaged in everything from code changes to furnishing communities nationwide with guidance and support to build safe rooms properly. Safe rooms are hardened structures specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide "near-absolute" life-safety protection in extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Continue reading story |
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