Building Codes And Their Everyday Importance
Building codes have always been established after an unforeseen tragedy has taken place. Codes govern a set of minimum standards and criteria to protect health, safety and the natural resources that sustain us. A building code is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the importance of building codes and how disasters have helped us not only shape but also improve codes year by year. I will discuss three different disasters and explain what happened during the events, how it impacted interior design, and how the codes created a sense of safety and security for the people affected by said disaster. The MGM Grand Hotel Fire occurred on November 21, 1980 in Paradise, Nevada. It is labeled the third worst hotel fire in US history. The fire killed 85 people in total. The deaths were mostly due to smoke inhalation, however some were due to building collapse or combustion. The fire was caused by an electrical ground fault inside a wall socket that was not properly secured. The damage amounts were estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars.
During the investigation, it was found that the fire had smoldered for at least two to three hours before even being detected. The escape through the main entrance was impossible, no fire alarms sounded, and the sprinkler system did not go off. Fire walls near the elevators were also shown to be incorrect. It was obvious that the hotel did not follow the fire and safety regulations set by the state of Nevada.
Fire codes already existed when this fire happened. It was actually one of the first codes to ever exist, however, Nevada's state fire codes were not very strict or detailed. After the MGM Hotel fire in 1980, lots of things started to change around the US. By August 1981, not only hotels, but high rise owners had to comply with Nevada’s new fire code that was considered to be the toughest and strictest in the nation. The Nevada fire code amendments are two hundred and fifty pages long and address just about anything you can think of. For example, in 2015, there was a fire outbreak in a cabana at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas poolside. If not for strict fire codes including; size limits, distance between cabanas, where cabanas can be located and automatic sprinkler systems, this could have been a much larger issue. The county also requires cabanas to be made of non-combustible materials and placed at least 20 feet away from any fuel-fired equipment. If not for these detailed and strict fire codes, there could have been a lot more disasters like the MGM Hotel fire.
These fire codes have greatly impacted interior design. Only certain kinds of non-combustible carpets are allowed inside hotels and all of the electric wiring has to be protected as well as checked multiple times. Material is clearly a huge part of interior design and in commercial design you have to be careful which ones you choose. Some materials are not even allowed in commercial design due to fire code restrictions. Certain wall papers are not allowed because of the glue that is required to stick the wallpaper to the wall. If the glue is burned it releases toxins into the air that can cause serious damage to the lungs or even death. All codes are important and impact interior design greatly. It is very important to be knowledgeable on these codes so that the inhabitants of the building can feel safe and secure. The new fire codes set in Nevada has created a sense of safety and security. Although they are strict, from what I have read, the inhabitants of Nevada are very thankful for them and there has not been another fire as destructive as the MGM Hotel fire. The MGM fire was a major catastrophe in which many lives were lost. Thankfully, this tragedy brought a lot of new changes in fire codes for hotels. The fire was also a wakeup call for the rest of the US. Media coverage gave public awareness to the dangers of hotel fires and how to stay safe. Although this fire was a tragedy, if it did not happen, it is likely that there would have been more frequent and destructive fires throughout the United States.
The next tragedy I will be discussing is Sandy Hook Elementary School. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14th, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza entered the elementary school and shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members. Before arriving at the school, he also shot and killed his mother in their home. When first responders arrived, Adam Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. This is considered the fourth-deadliest mass shooting by a single person in U.S. history. After Sandy Hook, the School Safety Infrastructure Council guidelines were put into place. The SSIC is the public policy that schools are vulnerable facilities subject to the threat of violence with the potential for loss of life or serious injury to students and staff. This means that a uniform comprehensive threat assessment process, consistent criteria and corresponding building plans will be used throughout Connecticut at any school. That being said, there are many building codes that are not only important in schools but important in all buildings. Fire alarms must be up to date, emergency systems must be understood, and door locking mechanisms must work. Most schools have fire drills and lockdown drills so that they are prepared if anything were to happen.
Maintaining a safe exit is also an important building code. A clear pathway must be maintained at all times to all exits. All exit doors need to be free at all times and doors must be maintained and regularly replaced so that exit isn’t restricted. There must also be functioning exit signs throughout a building that light up at night. Since the recent arise of school shootings in the past couple years, security systems and building style of schools have drastically changed. Design is advancing to include bullet proof doors, hideaway rooms, and security cameras. Most schools have built a large gate around the schools perimeter that is locked during the day. All of these items come into play when attempting to design a school in this day and age. Being that physical barriers such as locked doors and buzzer systems failed to keep out the determined shooter at Sandy Hook elementary, it is important that we try to improve those things. Metal detectors and bag scanning systems are also beginning to pop up around the country.
On February 22, 2018, Sandy Hook Elementary was rebuilt and reopened with some new key security features. The design for the new Sandy Hook does its best to hide its security features in plain sight. Leading up to the school there is a series of checkpoints that are open from morning till night. The main entryway includes a surveillance gate as well as external security. A bus loop and a large parking lot also create a buffer for the new building. Large bottom to ceiling windows create a clear line of sight for noticing anything that might be out of the ordinary. While not fully bulletproof glass, the windows are impact-resistant. I believe that these new security systems will help the small town feel safer in their home. Sandy Hook remains as positive as they can after such a tragedy and hope that the newly built school can provide safety for the new students this year.
The next tragedy I will be discussing is the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that occurred on December 26th, 2004.It affected mainly Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. The mega quake’s epicenter was located between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate. Tsunamis reached 30 feet tall and killed an estimate of 227,898 people in 14 countries. Most of the victims were killed in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh. The earthquake/tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
Given the frequent occurrences and destructive nature of tsunamis, it is very surprising that most of the world lacks tsunami warning systems. There was a several hour lag between the mega quake and the tsunami so the victims were very much taken by surprise. There were no tsunami detectors in the Indian Ocean and no alarm systems set in place to warn and evacuate the potential victims. The codes surrounding coastal living were very loosely structured at the time but in 2013, The Tsunami Loads and Effects Subcommittee created ASCE 7 Tsunami Provisions. These provisions state that there are to be minimum design loads for buildings and other structures. The consensus design standard is to be updated every five years using ANSI-approved process. The point of these provisions is to help people to understand tsunami hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. They were put into effect to help reduce the risk of death through land use planning, site planning, and building design. The seven principles are as followed;
Principle 1: Know your community’s tsunami risk: hazard, vulnerability, and exposure,
Principle 2: Avoid new development in tsunami run-up areas to minimize future tsunami losses,
Principle 3: Locate and configure new development that occurs in tsunami run-up areas to minimize future tsunami losses,
Principle 4: Design and construct new buildings to minimize tsunami damage,
Principle 5, Protect existing development from tsunami losses through redevelopment, retrofit, and land reuse plans and projects,
Principle 6: Take special precautions in locating and designing infrastructure and critical facilities to minimize tsunami damage,
Principle 7: Plan for evacuation.
Tsunamis and earthquakes have greatly impacted the interior design community. Building design is very different in places with frequent earthquakes. Most buildings that lie near a fault line are sunk into bedrock to create stability. They also include large rubber shock absorbers. They are built with steel frames that allow the building to sway during the quake releasing the pressure that would have otherwise been put on the building causing it to collapse. They usually will include large open areas around the buildings where people can easily evacuate. Some buildings even have steel frames around the windows which helps with falling glass. Building design regarding tsunamis is a little different. The buildings are hydrodynamically shaped so that the water may flow underneath it. This means that the building itself sits upon multiple elevated columns that allow water to safely flow right under your home.
Luckily since the mega quake/tsunami event in 2004, the Indian Ocean now has tsunami and earthquake detectors in place. They have also added an alarm system to warn the surrounding communities before the tsunami hits. In addition to the new systems, they have also put in an evacuation plan as well as several signs that point you towards high ground. Luckily, the countries that were hit by the 2004 tsunami have made a full recovery and are now using safe and secure methods in the Indian Ocean so that another disaster does not occur.
In conclusion, it is clear as to why building codes are so important. Building codes help to maintain and protect health, safety and the natural resources that sustain us. If you do not follow building codes, it will be impossible to have your design approved for construction. These codes also play a large part in interior design by limiting the resources available due to code regulations. Codes help to keep everybody safe and secure. Unfortunately, they cannot fix everything, there will still be disasters, but with the help of building codes, we can make buildings safer year by year.
