TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On February 20, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit areas of turkey. This follows the 7.8 earthquake two weeks ago, killing more than 40,000 people.
Locally, architects share that infrastructure codes and enforcement play a large role in the performance of a building. Those codes are based on different things such as location and natural disasters.
For instance, in Florida there are hurricanes, which would require buildings to be constructed to withstand strong winds and flooding.
Rhonda Hammond with the American Institute of Architects says following those specific codes can mean the difference between life or death during a disaster.
“It’s important that building codes are enforced. Architects as licensed professionals are trained to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public,” she said.
Hammond added that following Hurricane Michael in 2018, and then Ian and Nicole in 2022, which ravaged parts of the sunshine state, infrastructure codes were looked at more closely. However, after the collapse of the Surfside Condos, killing 98-people building “inspection” policies also began to change.
Though officials say Turkey has updated their infrastructure codes, not enforcing them is an issue.
“It’s my understanding from the news that although Turkey has brought their building codes up to modern standards, they have not been enforced,” said Hammond.
Last year the Florida legislature passed a law improving the inspection process on buildings closer to the coast. That bill was filed again on February 21, with revisions.
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