OCEANFRONT CONDO CONDEMNED FOR STEEL CORROSION
Authorities have condemned a beachfront condominium building in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, reported the Wilmington Star News (see: “Carolina Surf condo complex – in danger of collapse – condemned, evacuated,” by StarNews Staff). “The four-story Carolina Surf condominium complex was condemned Friday [June 30] after engineers determined the building erected in 1986 was in danger of collapsing, according to a news release from Assistant Town Manager Ed Parvin,” the paper reported. “Parvin said the issue with the condos came to light several weeks ago after ‘significant corrosion’ was detected on steel exposed when contractors removed a portion of the stucco siding while replacing windows on the building, Parvin said. Town staff requested an engineering evaluation, he said.”
“The four-story structure, built in 1986, had at least 28 occupied units when it was evacuated June 30 after an owner-sanctioned contractor’s inspection found steel structural columns had significantly eroded, one to nearly half its original size and, therefore, capacity,” reported the Star News in a follow-up story (see: “Condemned condos a reminder of coast’s corrosive elements,” by Hunter Ingram).
Local TV station WECT (Channel 6, Wilmington) had more details (see: “Owners, renters blindsided by condemned condos,” by Connor DelPrete). “On June 30, a letter sent to Joseph Sample of the Carolina Surf Homeowners Association from Chris Holmes P.E. & Associates, Inc. stated steel corrosion was so bad that one of the building’s columns was reduced to half its original size,” the station reported. “Inspection of newly discovered corrosion to the structural columns has revealed that the structural integrity of the entire southeast corner of the building has been completely compromised,” the letter read. “The cross-sectional area of the structural column in question has been reduced to half its size and therefore half its intended capacity.” Bolted and welded connections on floors and balconies were “entirely corroded away,” the letter stated.
Reporting by the Island Gazette of Carolina Beach, N.C., provided more context along with graphic — no, make that gruesome — photos and video (see: “Officials condemn Carolina Surf condo building for structural issues,” by Willard Killough III). The paper quotes an initial report authored by engineer Matthew Ward: “The balconies consist of steel framing and elevated concrete slabs. Inspection of the steel framing has indicated that they have corroded to the point where their structural integrity has been severely compromised. It is the opinion of this office that this balcony is no longer safe to occupy and that that area directly below it is also no longer safe to occupy.”
Later investigation revealed more extensive structural problems, desribed by engineer Ward as follows: “Inspection of newly discovered corrosion to the structural columns has revealed that the structural integrity of the entire southeast corner of the building has been completely compromised. The cross sectional area of the structural columns in question has been reduced to half of its original size and therefore half its intended capacity… Further inspection of other exposed columns has also shown a similar degree of structural compromise due to corrosion. Large amounts of steel are flaking off the webs and flanges of the beams.”
Are other similarly situated buildings at risk for similar catastrophic corrosion? Hard to say. But the Star News, naturally enough, is wondering (see: “Condemned condos a reminder of coast’s corrosive elements,” by Hunter Ingram). “Spencer Rogers, N.C. Sea Grant’s Coastal Construction and Erosion Specialist, previously spent years researching corrosion rates in structures in Kure Beach for the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” the paper reported. “Among the main factors affecting structures, both commercial and residential, is salt spray blown in off the ocean and the distance from which the building stands from the coastline. His research found that corrosion rates are highest 80 feet from the shoreline and 10-12 feet above the ground. The farther away and the higher a building rises, the corrosion rates diminish… E.B. Pannkuk with Andrew Consulting Engineers advises owners should have older buildings inspected sooner rather than later to identify any weaknesses.”
CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS TACKLE HOUSING SHORTAGE
If you live in California, you won’t be surprised to learn that housing in the state is scarce and expensive. The New York Times has also noticed it, and took up the topic in a report on July 17 (see: “The Cost of a Hot Economy in California: A Severe Housing Crisis,” by Adam Nagourney and Conor Dougherty). “The median cost of a home here is now a staggering $500,000, twice the national cost,” the Times reported. “Homelessness is surging across the state.”
Now, the Times reported, the state legislature is pondering an effort to take on local forces who, some argue, have been stifling home constructions in some communities. Legislation sponsored by state Senator Scott Weiner, a San Francisco Democrat, would “crack down on communities that have, in their view, systematically delayed or derailed housing construction proposals, often at the behest of local neighborhood groups.”
“The bill sponsored by Mr. Wiener, one of 130 housing measures that have been introduced this year, would restrict one of the biggest development tools that communities wield: the ability to use zoning, environmental and procedural laws to thwart projects they deem out of character with their neighborhood,” the Times reported. Below (YouTube video), Wiener explains his bill to the California Senate.
“California is in the most intense housing crisis in our state’s history,” Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) told the San Francisco Chronicle (see: “California housing crisis spurring lawmakers into action,” by Melody Gutierrez. “For the millions of Californians who are suffering, Sacramento needs to act,” Chiu said. “There is no silver bullet to the housing crisis.”
“California has been in the midst of a housing crisis for years, and I think what gets us where we are today is a general feeling that the crisis has moved to a catastrophe,” Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium, told the Chronicle. “The catastrophe is real. There are low-income Californians on the brink of homelessness. You can’t pick up a newspaper that doesn’t mention homelessness on the rise across the state. I think we are finally at a point where it equals action.”
FLOOD INSURANCE FIX MAY BOOST COST FOR HOMEOWNERS
Congress has barely two months to act before authorization expires for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on September 30. With the deadline looming, “about half a dozen bills to address the issue have been introduced in Congress, at least one of which looks to increase premiums to help pay for the debt-laden program,” the Chicago Tribune reported on July 19 (see: “If flood insurance program lapses, it’ll be ‘total chaos,’ warns official,” by Ally Marotti).
“Last month, a key House committee approved seven pieces of legislation aimed at improving the solvency of the insurance program, which owes $25 billion to the U.S. Treasury,” reported McClatchy (see: “Flood insurance rates could rise for hundreds of thousands of homeowners under proposal,” by Stuart Leavenworth). One of the proposals — Wisconsin Republican Sean Duffy’s “21st Century Flood Reform Act” — would restrict homes accepted into the program in the past from continuing to get grandfathered into low premiums as flood maps evolve to reflect higher risks. Duffy “agreed the change could deal a financial blow to some homeowners, over time,” McClatchy reported. “But the current practice, [Duffy] argued, is unfair to households that live outside of floodplains. Through their tax dollars, they subsidize a relatively small number of homeowners who own property near the coasts, rivers and other waterways.”
“No one knows for sure how many households could be affected by the change,” McClatchy reported, “but Duffy said FEMA has told him it could number 500,000 or higher. The increased premium costs could be sizable.”
STATE BY STATE
Florida: New homes in South Miami must have rooftop photovoltaic systems starting in November, according to a report in the Miami Herald (see: “New homes will now require solar panels in South Miami, a first in Florida,” by Carli Teproff. “Under the rules, new residential construction would require 175 square feet of solar panel to be installed per 1,000 square feet of sunlit roof area, or 2.75 kw per 1,000 square feet of living space, whichever is less,” the paper reported. “If the house is built under existing trees, the shade may exempt it. Home renovations that replace more than 75 percent of the structure or extend the structure by more than 75 percent would also have to follow the new ordinance.”
North Carolina: Construction is almost complete on a massive 24-bedroom beachfront house in Carova after a judge ruled that work could continue, reports the Outer Banks Voice (see: “Disputed 24-bedroom house in Carova is basically finished,” by Dee Langston). Work is also moving right along on the barrier island communities’ access bridges, reported the Triangle Business Journal (see: “NCDOT reports progress on three massive OBX bridges,” by Lauren K. Ohnesorge). But recent rains reminded residents that basic infrastructure continues to be a problem in the Outer Banks, the Voice reported (see: “Freak storms compound Nags Head’s flooding problems,” by Sam Walker). “Although it usually takes only a few hours for water to percolate into the sandy soil during normal rainfall, the problem is compounded by a drainage system that dates back as much as five decades and can barely handle a heavy rain when it is in perfect shape,” the paper reported.
