This report was written by BCC resident Gordon P. Houston, P.E., a Professional Civil Engineer registered in Florida and Illinois. He worked in construction and design since 1965 and served 2 years on the BCC Board.
Roofs
The roofs of our buildings are constructed by stretching a membrane over plywood sheeting supported by wood roof trusses. The membrane is anchored at the roof edge by steel screws spaced at intervals along the edge ledger board. This produced a strong roof with a low wind drag which is important during a strong wind storm. We found during hurricane Wilma that the edge anchorage must be maintained. During this storm we had a failure on the south side of buildings 1 through 8. The roofing expert hired to repair these roofs said the steel connectors had deteriorated. He made repairs using stainless steel connectors. When asked how we could prevent this from happening again, he suggested we install additional stainless steel connectors between the existing steel connectors.
Entrance Doors
Building entrance doors are a concern. The door panels are mostly in good condition but the hardware has been used for over 36 years without replacement. Most latches and worn-out hinges are noisy, and many closures are inoperable or nearly so. The conditions of the entrance doors are important during wind storms because if they fail to hold back the wind we will lose the roof.
Shutters, Windows, Balcony Enclosures
BCC should have a policy on window replacement, balcony enclosures and practical shutter design. If we make all windows meet the new code we would be eligible for a substantial discount on wind insurance. The policy should require all present and future glass balcony enclosures (where sliding door is removed) to meet the same present code requirements.
