New University of Florida Study Recommends Building Beyond Existing Florida Building Code

A new report released by the University of Florida Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment recommends voluntary building enhancements that would exceed the current requirements of the Florida Building Code. These enhancements would reduce property and economic losses following hurricanes and severe storms. The report was commissioned by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The purpose of the report was to provide Florida residents with enhanced design options for their homes to mitigate against the future risk of hurricane-related building damage. The public may not understand that the provisions in the Florida Building Code are simply a minimum standard that must be met, and as consumers, they are encouraged to build to higher standards.

Two main reasons for building enhancements were addressed: 1) areas subject to flooding and storm surge; and 2) improving wind resiliency and protecting against water intrusion.

Read the full report here.