FENESTRATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY Summit Lake Drive, # 300 Tallahassee, FL (850) FAX (850)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "FENESTRATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY Summit Lake Drive, # 300 Tallahassee, FL (850) FAX (850)"

Eugene Cross
6 years ago
Views:

FENESTRATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY 2011 1625 Summit Lake Drive, # 300 Tallahassee, FL 32317 (850) 294-7963 FAX (850) 402-0139 From the Executive Director FMA Conference Highlights FMA

1 FENESTRATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY Summit Lake Drive, # 300 Tallahassee, FL (850) FAX (850) From the Executive Director FMA Conference Highlights FMA Board Retreat This past 2011 FMA Spring Conference in Naples, FL will go down in the FMA annals as one of the most productive conferences this association has held since I have been your Executive Director. Starting with the downtown location of the fabulous Inn on Fifth hotel and their outstanding professional staff to the many excellent presenters and subject matter to the successful Board Retreat, it was a resounding success. New Members? From the Executive Director ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures Florida Product Approval and Self- Affirmation 4 5 CS/CS/CS/HB849, Engrossed 6 An Open Letter to the FMA Members 7 We were fortunate to have attracted Stergis Windows and Doors, Attleboro, MA and Resiver Patio Doors, Quebec, Canada to come down and look us over. I thank all of you for making them feel welcome. Tom Rochefort, General Manager for Stergis has asked me to publish an open letter which I have done in this newsletter. We hope that both companies will join the FMA family. I would like to personally thank all of you who attended the conference as well as sponsored many of the various activities. You are the very heart of this association and without your support in these economic times the FMA would cease to exist. I think you may be pleasantly surprised when you review the conceptions your Board has put forward for further exploration. These ideas were formulated in the Board Retreat and as your President, Mr. Krahn, so eloquently stated, They represent spaghetti thrown against the wall and now let s see what sticks. It was great to see a former FMA Board member, Kristin Anderson who is now with Stergis Window and Door. Welcome back Kristin. Presenter Highlights Please indulge me in my highlighting the presenters that we were fortunate to draw to provide you with continuing education. First out of the chute was Mo Madani, P.E. and the heart of the Florida Building Code process including the Florida Product Approval Program. Due to ethic restrictions in Florida, as I am a registered lobbyist, Mo could not accept our invite to travel to Naples. Under Florida Ethics Law, companies with registered lobbyist may not offer or give even a cup of coffee to state employees or elected officials. So, we decided he would present Florida Product Approval-Self-Affirmation including an update on the ASTM 7-10 Design Standards via webinar.

2 The webinar was very successful and we did gain the advantage of previewing the three new wind speed maps that will be used in calculating design pressures and wind-borne debris area in the 2010 Florida Building Code. After lunch our very own David Toney, Esq., from Houston, Texas delivered a lively discussion on The Product Package, Warranties and Negotiating the Legal Minefield. We thank the law firm of Adams & Reese, LLC for allowing David to continue his association with the FMA. David presented a short U-Tube video showing what appeared to be a window installer debating a Texas sheriff near San Antonio. Sure looked like Freddie Cole from my vantage point, but I could be wrong. As the FMA Installation Committee has spent considerable time and money investigating the installation of windows and exterior doors in CMU construction we thought it time to invite the masonry profession to share their perspective on the rough opening and the CMU wall. It is imperative that the FMA continue our outreach to others that play a role in constructing the wall system. The masons sent three of their best, Joe Belcher, JDB Code Consultants; Don Beers, P.E. Masonry Association of Florida; and Jerry Painter, President of Painter Masonry, Inc. to share their thoughts and perspectives. What I came away with was that concrete block walls (CMU) were never designed to absorb water, some tolerances are too wide and that the definition of the masonry opening (MO) and the rough opening (RO) are not perceived the same between our industries. FMA has pledged to work with Mr. Belcher and hope to rectify these issues not only in the Florida Building Code but through the ICC process as well if needed. As one of the avenues for future research of the FMA Installation Committee could be the replacement of windows and exterior doors it was decided to ask an expert in the field of remediation to discuss water intrusion issues of existing buildings. FMA was fortunate to convince Craig Kobza, President of Aerial Companies based out of Naples, to come by and share his knowledge. Craig, accompanied by Ms. Vicki Richards his Business Manager, presented a fascinating 90 minutes describing the pitfalls of poor installations resulting from poor workmanship in multi-million dollar residential homes in the area. Lesson learned, pay attention to detail and no matter how much money you may have, poor workmanship will bite you. Larry Livermore, Architectural Testing in York, PA capped the morning with his technical presentation on Whole Barrier Air Testing, How it May Impact You. Larry has been a staunch supporter and contributor to the work that FMA has done in developing and testing the protocols. I personally thank Larry for his efforts to step up to the plate on all occasions and also thank Scott Warner of ATI, Inc. for allowing him to do so. Networking Networking was limited to in-shore, saltwater fishing as well as well as sailing on the 45 passenger catamaran in the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to Russ Traficante, WinDoor, Inc. the cruise was paid for. To top it off, Russ agreed to host a wine tasting on the boat. I am not sure how that went as I was hosting the beer tasting but I do know Russ made some good tips. Thanks Russ and smooth sailing! Awards For those of you that missed our dinner that evening and are living vicariously through the newsletter, several awards and trophies were passed out to deserving boys and girls. 2

3 Don Beltz, Director of the ATI Lab in Tampa, was presented the prestigious Barry Hardman Achievement Award. Don accepted the award on behalf of the entire ATI Tampa staff. Finally after what seems like two years, Freddie Cole, Schnee Morehead, and former FMA President and El Presidente for Life, made an appearance to accept his gold watch along with a plaque recognizing his service to the FMA as President for the past 4 years. It was reported that Freddie noted to all that somehow Rolex was misspelled on his watch. Freddie, we would not be where we are today without your leadership and your vision to Bridge the Gap by coordinating our product installations with the various trades involved in building the structure. May you have fair winds and smooth seas in your new venture. Kari Hebrank, lobbyist extraordinaire was presented a crystal vase recognizing her for her unselfish efforts in supporting the fenestration industry before the Florida Legislature. Kari immediately auctioned off the vase and departed for a week-long vacation to Greece with her daughter. Way to go Kari and thanks again from the FMA. Due to the fact that we had six bottles of the finest vintage wine left over, Angela Longo, mother, wife of Bill Longo of DAP and part time auctioneer, raised $500 for the good of the order by pressing into service her auctioneer talents. Thanks again Angela, hopefully you will be available next year. ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures Eric Stafford, P.E. and member of the ASCE 7 Wind Load Committee who was scheduled to present the latest and greatest on the new ASCE 7-10, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures had to cancel at the last moment due to the devastating tornadoes in Alabama. Eric, who lives in Birmingham and was 12 miles south of the destructive path, was selected by the insurance industry to head an investigative team designed to do forensics on the buildings destroyed by the tornado. Enter our good friend, Jack Glenn who normally works with the Florida Home Builders Association as their Technical Services Representative. At the last moment, and at my request, Jack jumped in the car with Kari Hebrank and drove to Naples to make Eric s presentation. Although Jack drove the whole way and Kari slept, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Jack gave Eric s presentation in a flawless manner. We will cover the highlights later in this news brief. What I want you to know is Jack took vacation to make this trip on our behalf. Thanks Jack, this makes Jack Glenn an honorary member of the FMA. FMA Board Retreat The FMA Board of Directors assembled in Naples on Monday, May 9 to hold a planning session designed to chart a roadmap for the next two years for your association. The book, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, M.D., was sent to each Board member in advance for preparation of this event. With that said, the theme was Who Moved My Cheese and Where Do We Find New Cheese? FMA was created to provide an avenue for advocating on behalf of Florida window and door manufacturers as well as national manufacturers and suppliers doing business in Florida at that time. The impact resistant glazing system was being introduced and the fall-out affecting building codes and standards resulting from the Grand Jury conclusions after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 were being closely monitored by the FMA. Florida, a great market place at the time regardless of the headaches of meeting Florida specific standards, etc. could not to be ignored. 3

4 The FMA played a crucial role in shaping the Florida regulatory process through its involvement in 3 years of Florida Building Commission meetings which culminated in the Unified Florida Building Code (UFBC) and the Florida Product Approval process. FMA continues to leave its mark on the Florida Building Code as well as the Florida Product Approval process. After Dennis Braddy as Executive Director stepped down in 2005, FMA was slated to move to the next level. That level was defined by the challenge the Florida Building Commission offered the fenestration industry after the back-to-back hurricanes of In 2005 the Florida Building Commission declared, Sliding glass doors and windows leak, either you find a solution to this problem or we in government will. FMA and SE AAMA members took up this challenge and are proud to say that today all three fenestration associations (FMA/AAMA/WDMA) have jointly developed, tested and published industry consensus protocols for installation in extreme wind/water environments. These documents address new construction only. Moving to the present, due to the 2007 economic downturn in the world economy, many fenestration manufacturers, both in Florida and nationally ceased to exist. This has taken a toll on the membership of the FMA as well as other building associations by reducing the population that existed to draw new members from. Now that we (FMA/AAMA/WDMA) have addressed installation protocols in new construction (our cheese) and we are aware that new construction has significantly declined and will remain depressed for several more years, it is time to find new cheese. That cheese could take the form of expanding outside our comfort zone (currently installation in extreme weather environments targeted for the Florida and the Gulf coast), addressing real-world problems associated with our product performance in the wall as a system to seeking educational partnerships within the trades that build the wall system our products perform in. The Board will be working over the summer to develop a roadmap for your association. Your input, as a member, is desired and crucial. ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures As Florida will be the first state to adopt this new design standard, it will provide a learning curve for the balance of the nation. Designing to ASCE 7-10 will be in effect at midnight on December 31, 2011.The many presentations that I have observed can lead to post traumatic stress syndrome, schizophrenia and convulsions. So, in my own little mind, I tried to break it down to what s significant for us non-engineers and how it may impact our markets and current product lines. ASCE 7-05 ASCE 7-10 Wind speed map philosophy based on Allowable Stress Design. Referred to as Nominal Wind Speeds. Designers use a single wind speed map addressing all Occupancy Categories. Wind speeds are conservative based on minimal data points and storm recurrence data. 4 Wind speed maps based on Allowable Strength Design. Referred to however as Ultimate Wind Speeds. Designers will use three wind speed maps: Risk Category I Risk Category II (Residential) Risk Category III and IV Wind speeds trend higher based on a multitude of data points as well as higher storm recurrence projections. Use Ultimate or strength design level wind speeds.

5 Wind-Borne Debris Region (WBDR) defined as one-mile from the coastal mean high water line with wind speeds 110 mph or greater or a basic wind speed of 120 mph or greater. Method of calculation for Wind Strength Design (Nominal Wind Speeds) is based on a load factor of 1.6 to address uncertainties in the analysis. The 1.6 load factor provides for Allowable STRESS Design (Vasd). Based on Exposure Category B and C with Category C as the default. Wind-Borne Debris Region (WBDR) defined as onemile from the coastal mean high water line with wind speeds of 130 mph or greater or where the basic wind speed is 140 mph or greater Method of calculation for Allowable Stress Design (Ultimate Wind Speeds) is based on a straight load factor of 1.0. Applying a factor of 0.6 when designing for Allowable STRENGTH design (Vult) results in design pressures equivalent to allowable stress designs for Nominal Wind Speeds. Uses Exposure Categories B and C and adds Exposure Category D. Exposure Category C remains the default. Bottom line folks: According to Mo Madani, P.E., the new wind speed maps, when used in combination with the load factor of 1.0 on wind strength design and the 0.6 factor on wind for allowable stress design, the result is a net decrease in design wind loads in hurricane-prone regions. Parts of southern Florida, mainly due to the reintroduction of Exposure Category D for coastal areas, are approximately the same when compared with previous editions of the wind speed map. In the remainder of the hurricane prone regions in Florida, the design wind pressures are on average approximately 20% less than the loads determined when applying ASCE In reviewing the new wind speed map depicting the Wind-Borne Debris Region (WDBR) for Residential (Category II) and buildings other than health care facilities (Category III), in my humble opinion, we have lost market opportunities along the Florida Big Bend from Perry to Port St. Joe as well as Duval and Nassau counties. We have gained in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties in the Panhandle and in central Florida around Lake Okeechobee. Also, design pressures remain manageable and in particular in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) if we are successful in helping Miami-Dade and Broward convince the Florida Building Commission on June 7 to return their wind speed maps back to what ASCE 7-10 currently prescribes. Florida Product Approval and Self-Affirmation As you are aware, the 2010 Florida Building Code goes into effect on December 31 at midnight. What does your company have to do to comply? If the standards or restrictions (e.g. HVHZ) pertaining to your product in the 2010 FBC have changed, then a Product Revision application must be submitted to Berman & Associates. New evidence such as a test report or evaluation report demonstrating compliance must be submitted. Each revision is $500. Steve Strawn of Jeld-Wen posed the following questions to Mo Madani and here are his answers: Q. How soon will we be able to submit products using the new 2010 Florida Building Code (FBC) required standards? A. Late June of

6 Q. During this transition will product approvals to the 2010 code be challenged by building officials who will only allow approvals to the 2007 code? A. From past experience, the answer is yes. However, to lessen the impact to such a challenge we encourage manufacturers to update their STATE approval as quickly as possible. Q. For existing approved products that make reference to the 2007 FBC do the documents (i.e. NOA, installation drawings, etc.) need to be modified to show reference to the 2010 code? A. When a new edition of the Florida Building Code does not require a material or substantive change for an approved product, the manufacturer must affirm his/her product meets the 2010 edition. If the evaluators report refers to the previous FBC edition, the manufacturer must submit a statement from the evaluation entity that the product complies with the subsequent code version via an upload and submittal through the BCIS. Q. What is acceptable to demonstrate equivalency of standards? For example, the changes to NAFS 08 and deleting ASTM E A. Equivalency of product standards for specific applications may be determined by one of the following entities: An approved certification agency; An approved test lab; An approved evaluation entity; A licensed Florida P.E. or architect; or A nationally recognized standard writing organization. Q. What is the fee schedule specific to product approvals? New application - $500/sub-category Revision - $500 Editorial - $150 Affirmation - $100 CS/CS/CS/HB849, Engrossed The Florida Legislature this April passed what we affectionately refer to each year as the building code bill. Of significance to our membership are the following items: All future buildings owned by the state shall be designed and built to a national model green building code (yet to be adopted by Florida Building Commission). Home inspectors must be licensed and certified after July 1, Defines Glass and glazing contractor. We do not understand the ramifications of this change in the law to current window/door installers. Provides for a method to justify Florida Specific amendments beginning in the next Florida Building Code cycle and every three years thereafter. Exempts buildings that are 400 square feet or less and that are intended for use in conjunction with one-and two-family residences from the door height and width requirements of the Florida Building Code. Prohibits the advertising, sale or offering of any product marketed as hurricane, windstorm or impact protection from wind-borne debris unless it is receives a Florida Product Approval. Provides penalties under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Provides an effective date of July 1, One of the hard fought provisions to come out of this legislation addressed the continual lobbying by special interest groups to adopt Florida specific amendments to the International Building Code (IBC), the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as used as base codes in Florida. The legislature recognizes that Florida specific issues may be addressed such as seismic, snow loading, extremely high wind speeds in south Florida, etc., by tailoring the Florida Building Code. 6

7 Florida specific amendments sunset (expire) every three years and must be re-submitted through the Florida Building Commission code adoption process. This legislation will require that Florida specific amendments must specifically address whether: 1. The provisions contained in the proposed amendment are addressed in the applicable international code. A simple yes or no will comply. 2. The amendment demonstrates by evidence or data that the geographical jurisdiction of Florida exhibits a need to strengthen the foundation code beyond the needs or regional variations addressed by the foundation code, and why the proposed amendment applies to Florida. 3. The proposed amendment was submitted or attempted to be included in the foundation codes to avoid resubmission to the Florida Building Code amendment process. If the proposed amendment has been addressed in the ICC in a substantially equivalent manner, the Florida Building Commission may not include the proposed amendment in the foundation code. An Open Letter to the FMA Members While at our Spring Conference, FMA had the pleasure to associate with Tom Rochefort, a gentleman who is the General Manager at Stergis Windows and Doors based out of Maine. Tom was on a mission to look over the FMA for possible membership. I believe the open letter to the FMA membership says it all on how well he was received. May 19, 2011 FMA 1625 Summit Lake Drive #300 Tallahassee, FL RE: 2011 FMA Spring Conference, Naples, FL To all FMA members, associates, and friends, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on behalf of myself and Kristin for your gracious hospitality and help during our visit to the Spring Conference on May 10 th, 11 th, and 12 th. I have attended many conferences and trade shows over the years and have met many people along the way but I have to honestly say, I have never met a group of genuine and sincere people such as the members and family of the FMA. Your organization is very well organized, professional, and is extremely dedicated to the industry from my observations last week. I gathered a great deal of information in a very short period of time due to the assistance of each and every member. Every member is a true professional in their own field and they bring that professionalism to the table when they meet in a venue such as this. honor. I look forward to becoming an active member of the FMA and joining this winning team. It certainly will be an In summation, thank you for a great time and wonderful experience or as my daughters say, You Guys Rock! Hope to see Y All real soon! I knew I would fit in!!! Ha Ha!! 7

8 With much gratitude and sincerity, Tom Thomas Rochefort General Manager /Commercial Sales Manager Stergis Windows and Doors 79 Walton Street Attleboro, MA Office Fax Mobile: ********* 8

January 5, Rule Hearing for Rule 61G Florida Building Code Adopted 5 th Edition (2014) Update to the Florida Building Code

January 5, Rule Hearing for Rule 61G Florida Building Code Adopted 5 th Edition (2014) Update to the Florida Building Code FENESTRATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION October 014 165 Summit Lake Drive, # 300 Tallahassee, FL 3317 (850) 94-7963 FAX (850) 40-0139 News Alert News Alert 1 Florida Building Commission Plenary Session