100 Firefighters Battle Apartment Fire in LA-Check Out This Unbelievable Picture

If ever there is a reason to make sure decks have FIRE RATED deck coatings on them, this is it. The whole deck looks like it has ignited!

READ THE STORY AT LA TIMES BY CLICKING HERE

Condo Without Fire Walls In Attics Burns Out Residents

While not deck related, this condo in Florida, built before code required fire walls between attics of the individual units, burned through the roof and attics very quickly. The result, many people homeless. The moral...installing fire walls post construction would probably have helped confine the fire to one/two units. Sprinklers are expensive too, but probably would have helped.

Read about it by clicking here

ICC-ES Lists Non Rated Deck Coating in Division 7 Traffic Coatings Section

It appears that Skyline Building Systems Inc of Alberta Canada has become the first manufacturer to get an ICC-ES report on a non rated deck system.

What's a non-rated deck? A non-rated deck is one that doesn't meet any fire resistance classification requirements.

ICC-ES recently changed AC-39, the acceptance criteria that regulates/guides the decking industry. It used to be that one had to have a deck coating that was at least Class A or B, now with ICC-ES' new AC-39, they have opened the door to any manufacturer bringing in traffic coatings that are only tested for Durability, Wind Uplift Resistance and Impact resistance.

Read Skyline's ICC report here; pay attention to 1.0 Properties Evaluated 

Now read Desert Brand's ICC report here; pay attention to 1.0 Properties Evaluated.

See the difference? One is fire rated, one is not. Which would you rather have on your deck?
ICC-ES is just looking for more income; the more manufacturer's they can "sell" a report to, the more $ they make. Only makes sense to open reports up to non fire rated products for them.

But it makes no sense whatsoever for the public. Unethical manufacturer's (I can think of one who might fit that description, in my opinion) could mis-use this type of report. More likely unethical or unknowing contractors could use this type of report to dupe a client.
 Non-rated products will certainly find their way onto walkways and decks that are supposed to be rated. Whose ass will it be when a person loses their life because of that? Walkways and decks are supposed to be rated for fire in almost every case I am aware of.
We'll see... 

Help Wanted-BETHCO Builders in LA Needs a Superintendent, and Admin Assistant

Hello Friends and Colleagues,

My collegue Dave Bethany at Bethco Builders is looking for some help. Tell him you saw it here! 

The good news is Bethco Builders is busy with construction management projects, construction consulting and litigation support (expert witness).  The challenging news is that we need another superintendent and administrative assistant to help us.  If you know of any good candidates send me an email or give a me call.

Thanks A Lot,

David Bethany

 David Bethany [mailto:dbethany@bethcobuilders.com]

Phone 818/834-2700

Fax     818/834-2743

Lack of Fire Resistant Stairways Leads to Condo Condemnation in PA

Condemned Condos Leaving Residents Homeless

The 4-year-old building has exposed wires, unsafe walls and poor fire suppression, officials say

By VINCE LATTANZIO

Updated 11:45 PM EDT, Thu, May 6, 2010

The City of Norristown is investigating how a newly constructed condo building that was condemned for code violations was ever able to open.

Residents of the 770 Sandy Street Condos have made several calls to officials about a slew of shoddy and unsafe conditions within the building.

Exposed wires, wooden stairs in a fire tower, inadequate fire suppression systems and poor wall integrity are just some of the concerns levied by residents and inspectors.

"There were a number of things that we felt necessitated us to take such a drastic action," Norristown Administrator David Forrest said.

Matt Dieckhaus and Megan Peterson say the condemnation of the 26-unit building leaves them homeless three weeks before their wedding.

"I literally woke up yesterday and opened my door and a letter fell out saying the building was condemned and I had not idea," Dieckhaus said Thursday.

Developer Bruce Fazio defends the 4-year-old building saying it is safe and that he's working with his bank to bring it up to code. He went on to say the condemnation was illegal because he wasn't given time to fix the issues.

Forrest says his office will be researching the original inspection approval to find out how the building was allowed pass.

First Published: May 6, 2010 10:26 PM ED

Call for Proposals-Waterproof Membranes 2010

Call for Proposals: Waterproof Membranes 2010

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5 May 2010 - The 4th international conference on Waterproof Membranes will be held at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne, Germany 30 November - 2 December 2010. A welcome reception will be held on the first evening and will be followed by the two-day technical program.

Applied Market Information (AMI), the event organizers, welcome your presentation proposals.

Previous conferences in this series have included presentations on greenroofs, HDPE geomembrane durability, thin-film solar laminates adhered to exposed TPO membrane caps on landfills, installation of tunnel liners, geosynthetics in the Middle East, manufacturing of membranes, and much more.

This year, climate change and sustainability may be of greater importance, as increasingly they are key factors in driving design. Extra demands are being placed on waterproofing as functions are added to the membrane, such as warming and cooling, incorporation in energy generation applications (wind, solar, biogas harvesting), and much more.

Waterproof Membranes 2010 offers a place to network for installers, manufacturers, suppliers, architects and researchers. Industry trends, market data, and new developments are hallmarks of the Waterproof Membranes events from AMI.

Papers are invited on all aspects of waterproofing in roofing and geombrane applications, including:

• Materials and membrane structures
• Adhesion
• Lifetime prediction
• Sun, wind, fire and chemical resistance
• Performance testing for extremes of climate
• Sustainability
• Market trends
• Case studies
• Green roofing, including root resistance
• Energy generation -- solar and wind power integration
• Energy conservation -- heating and cooling effects, such as reflectance and insulation
• Sealing and joints
• Design and selection of waterproofing

Speakers attend the conference free of charge and have a 30 minute slot including 5 minutes for questions. Papers are required in PowerPoint format 6 weeks prior to the conference. If you would like to speak, please note that the deadline for sending a short proposal summary to Sally Humphreys, business development manager at AMI, is 28 May 2010.

If you have interest in attending, exhibiting or sponsoring, please contact Jenny Skinner at +44 117 924 9442 or email js@amiplastics.com for details regarding registration, tabletop exhibition space, and other opportunities.