 Hello, I'm Hal Durier, head of the Federal Insurance Administration. We're a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and we manage the National Flood Insurance Program. The presentation you are about to see is a product of months of close collaboration between the Federal Insurance Administration, which provided the technical support, and the National Association of Home Builders, which provided the funding for this program. As a result of this close working relationship, the technical information presented in this video tape accurately reflects the regulatory standards of the federal government, as they pertain to safe coastal home construction and the National Flood Insurance Program. I want to take this opportunity to thank the National Association of Home Builders for their leadership and responsibility in sponsoring an effort that should help make the nation's coastal home safer from costly flood and wind damage. I'm Kevin Murray. Today we're going to show you some common sense basics for building a coastal home that's safe, sound, complies with most local building codes, and is a good buy on the market. That's the game plan today on Best Build. Coastal construction is based on an understanding of how the forces of nature interact with the housing structure during a coastal storm. The most obvious of these forces of nature are water and waves. Simply put, waves and water are the reasons we elevate a house in the first place. It is wave momentum and the drag force of water velocity that acts on the pilings of a coastal home. Then you have your surrounding topography, oceanfront sand dunes or inland tidal areas. The foundation of the house rests in this ground. And then you have the wind. Hurricane wind forces ranging anywhere from 73 to 200 miles per hour can cause significant damage to a coastal home if the building does not take into consideration the behavior of wind forces. Take a look at this. Here the wind has simply blown the roof off of the house. The reason is because wind speeds up as it flows over the roof, tending to uplift it. Wind can also enter through a broken window or door and in combination with outside wind pressure blow off the roof and collapse the walls of the house, just as we see here. Wind and water forces can also overload a foundation system causing improperly embedded piles to lean. A wind can be just as deadly as water and waves. The best insurance against damage or destruction is making sure attention is paid to the proper connections between all the structural elements of the house. Understanding the characteristics of wind, water and waves is important to understanding proper construction techniques. The local building codes, which regulate coastal home construction are in part designed in consideration of these environmental forces. So it follows that the local codes can provide the builder with some common sense techniques for building a strong housing structure. Codes differ from region to region, as does the environment. But there are several basic rules of thumb that lie at the core of any building code. Of course, know your location. Know the environment in which you're building. Determine the storm characteristics of wind and water. Elevate the house to flood elevation on properly embedded piles. Keep the lower area free of obstruction. And properly connect all the components of the house from foundation to roof. Now, why don't we start from the ground up and take a look at some of these common sense building techniques. There's quite a bit of coastal home construction going on in this area so I don't think we'll have any problem finding examples. But there is one place we have to visit first. And that's the local building permit office. It's here we can pick up a copy of the local building code regulations and other important information. George. Good morning. Kevin Murr. Oh, yes, Kevin. Good to meet you, sir. Now listen, if I'm coming into your area to start a coastal home construction project, is there a, what is the process, I should say, that you would lead me through in order to get off on the right start? We have the same process. Here you have any place in the country. We have our state rules. We have our municipality rules. In the coastal area, one thing you should be aware of is the flood insurance rate map. This is the firm, correct? The firm. This will establish the base flood elevation for the house that you're going to build. I see. Now let's say I run into some problems and questions I can't answer myself. Is there some sort of reference material? Oh, yes, sir. We have a lot of manuals around, but this is one of the best. It's the coastal construction manual. Is this mine to keep? Yes, sir. You may keep that. That'd be great. Any other problems that I can't answer myself out of this book? I should call your office? You're more than welcome to call my office at any time. Great, George. Thank you. You're welcome. The local building code regulations should be fairly self-explanatory. Read them over carefully and make sure you understand them. The firm, or flood insurance rate map, which is prepared by the Federal Insurance Administration, gives us two important pieces of information we need before starting construction. First, it tells us what the BFE, or base flood elevation, is for the area under review. And second, it tells us whether we will be building in an A or a V zone. A V zone is that area subject to title surge accompanied by velocity, water, and wave action. A coastal A zone usually designates flooding without significant wave action. Obviously, knowing whether you are going to build in an A or a V zone is important. The characteristics of flooding are different, so the building codes dictate different construction techniques. Knowing this information before starting construction will not only help you comply with local building codes, but will also keep the insurance premiums down on the house. And to coin a phrase, don't build coastal homes without it. Now, why don't we head back to the beach and visit a site where they're inserting piles into the ground. Foundations are intended to serve two main purposes. First, to elevate the house above waves and floodwater. And second, to adequately anchor and support the house against wind forces. If the foundation system is not accomplishing this, it's not a properly designed foundation. A coastal foundation usually consists of wood piles. The size and number of piles used and the depth to which they're embedded into the ground is dependent on the type of house being built and where the building is taking place. There are several ways to insert piles into the ground. The pile drivers and drop hammers are the preferred method as they assure the greatest placement accuracy, depth of insertion, and resistance to wind forces. Auguring, which is digging the hole out for the pile. And jetting, which uses concentrated jets of water to insert the pile, are widely used, but result in less resistance of the pile to uplift, especially in v-zone construction areas. The piles must be properly spaced and embedded at a depth that takes into account the upward and lateral wind forces on the elevated house, the lateral water force on the piles, the downward weight of the house and contents, and the anticipated soil erosion. Other methods of elevating besides piles include wood posts, which are not recommended for v-zones, because they have a lower resistance to wave impact and soil erosion, and mason repairs, which are not recommended for areas subject to scour and erosion. That's a lot to consider, but any house built on any foundation will only be as sturdy as its weakest link, so a properly designed foundation is the first step towards building a strong coastal home. Here we see the results of inadequate pile embedment. And here are the effects of soil erosion. However, here's a house where the builder adequately embedded the piles and added lateral supports, such as knee bracing and diagonal bracing. To recap what's important about coastal foundations, review your firm and your local building codes. Find the flood elevation level, the design wind speed, potential depth of scour and erosion, and the weight of the house. With this information, determine the size and number of piles needed, the embedment depth, and the preferred method of insertion. Like anything, a strong foundation is the best to build on, which is just what they're doing down the road a bit. Come on. A strong foundation is only the beginning. Proper connections between all the structural members of the house is equally important to building a sound and secure structure. Remember, we're building a house that must withstand wind, water velocity, wave impact, and debris, to say nothing of a corrosive weather environment. But what exactly do we mean by proper connections? Well, one, there's the pile embedment. Two, the optional lateral supports. Three, the floor beam to pile connection. Four, the floor joist to floor beam. Five, the walls and wall bottom sill plate to floor joist. Six, the wall top sill plate to roof rafters. And seven, the roof sheathing onto the roof rafters. Proper means each of these connections is solid and firmly anchored at the right location. To resist the corrosive effects of salt air, the connections should be galvanized and routinely inspected for corrosion. All of this adds up to a house that is tied together in a way we refer to as continuous, from foundation through floor framing, walls, and roof. Continuous because one weak link and that house can literally collapse in a coastal storm. So, does this mean a great deal of extra time and money and special materials must be expended in order to comply with local building codes and properly anchor a house? No. As we've noted earlier, all it takes is common sense building techniques to comply with any local building code. Common sense practical methods that require nothing more of a builder or a designer than an awareness of what the codes are and why they're necessary. How you doing today? Just fine. Good, good. All right, now we're constructing in a V-zone. We've got wave and water impact under storm conditions. So we know that this floor beam to pile connection has got to be solid. This foundation system is eight by eight wood piles, is that right? Yes, sir. Now, of course, you have to realize that the size of the piles is going to vary according to the construction site. Also, remember to lay your floor beam so that they're parallel to the direction from which the water will come. This will help minimize the force against those beams. Now, these piles have been single-notched and you're attaching this connection with these bolts, is that correct? And how many bolts per connection? I see. Anything special about these? Yeah, they're double-dipped galvanized against corrosion. To the zinc-plated? Yes. Looks like a real solid connection. There are several ways to anchor a floor beam to a pile or whatever the foundation. The only rule is making sure the connection is solid and durable. And when using notched piles, make sure the notch is only deep enough to provide a shelf for the supporting beam. An overnotched pile can weaken or fail under stress. But whatever the technique, the best common-sense tip is to know the forces that are acting on this connection and make it as strong as possible. The floor-joist-to-beam connection is especially important in resisting the wind uplift forces on the house. These forces can bend, break, or pull out a connected device, be it nail or clip. So it's important that a connection be used that will adequately resist these wind forces. Now, here we have what's called a hurricane clip, which is really nothing more than a galvanized metal fastener attached with galvanized nails. It is the nail arrangement on this clip that will help offset those wind uplift forces we just mentioned. Another type of connection for the floor-joist-to-beam is a wooden connection, which is less susceptible to corrosion than metal. But again, what's important is that a connection be used that will adequately resist these wind uplift forces. The type of connection and the size and number of nails used will determine the degree of resistance. Plywood is the recommended exterior wall sheathing for coastal home construction. One of its advantages is that it forms a continuous tie from floor-beam to top plate. And this is critical because the exterior walls transmit wind forces from the roof to the piles, where they can be adequately resisted. Notice here how the walls have been nailed to the bottom of the floor-beam. Anything less than that, and this connection could fail. An alternative approach would be to use a metal strap connector to link the wall stud to the floor-beam. But again, consult your manufacturer as brochures and know the strength of your nails and connectors. Always go for the maximum strength in making the wall to floor-beam connection. Now, why don't we head upstairs and take a look at some of the roof connections. The roof to wall-top sill plate connection is another critical connection due to those heavy uplift wind forces. Now, the specific kinds of connections will depend on the weight of the roof, the roof design or configuration, and the design wind speed. Now, first of all, the roof to wall-top sill plate connection alone is inadequate. Bill, you want to explain to us what else you're doing up there to make this a sturdier structure? Yeah, we're installing these hurricane anchors as we did below to strengthen the connection between the rafter and the top plate. And notice how the nails are being driven in at right angles to the wood members. This will help offset the tendency for these nails to pull out during storm conditions. And there are several variations of the geething, which is generally 5 eighths inch plywood, must be adequately anchored to all roof members, preferably using annular ring nails. That was a quick review of the very basic connections that will help you build a strong coastal home. However, the design considerations of the house do not end with these basic connections. Whenever possible, additional anchoring or bracing is recommended for joists and rafters, subflooring, walls and roof. This is because, again, you'll be able to withstand, over time, wind and water forces that act on each of the structural elements of the house. While there isn't time to review each and every possible kind of design consideration, here are a few common sense techniques that will go a long way towards further securing the house. Add cross bridging to your joists and rafters, especially in homes built in V zones. When laying wall sheathing, roof sheathing or subflooring, use annular ring nails. Use resistance to wind forces. And brace walls with diagonal wood braces, boards, or plywood sheathing. The specific size and type of materials used for constructing a coastal home will of course depend on the type of home being built. And also on the structural considerations required to resist the wind and water forces in your particular building area. So consult your local building codes and review the firm. Find the BFE and the type of zone that you're building in. Determine the kind of wind, water velocity, and wave forces that will be acting on your house. Tie the house together with connections that will adequately resist these forces. If you've done all that, you've built a safe and sound coastal home. Of course, there's more to building a coastal home than just bracing in connections. Let's go take a look. First is the whole question of utilities. Notice here how the electrical meter and cables have been placed in such a way and how the condenser unit for the air conditioner is not only elevated, but also enclosed to protect it from debris. And then there's the whole matter of the safest way to utilize the area below an elevated building, as we'll see right around the corner. The safest is, of course, no obstruction. But if a homeowner wants to use this space for parking or storage, there are design techniques available, such as breakaway walls, lattice work, or screening, which can make this area more aesthetically pleasing yet not increase the potential for additional forces on the foundation system. But that subject is a show in itself. There is one point, though, beyond the structural that I would like to touch on before the end of today's program, and that's the whole issue of insurance, which is tied to the broader question, is a safer home more attractive to the home buyer? I'm standing at the ground level of a typical elevated coastal home which has recently been sold, but is it truly elevated? There are two people that have to agree on this. One is the building official whose rules and regulations determine how any area below the base flood elevation must be properly constructed. And the other is the insurance agent who bases his insurance rates on the lowest floor, which is the lowest level of the house used for living purposes. Well, let's hear what the experts have to say. I have inspected this house, and it meets the requirements for the basic flood elevation with breakaway walls to be used for parking, access, and non-living spaces. It also meets the requirements for the state and municipality codes. This house is in compliance. Since the area below the elevated level has been constructed of breakaway walls and is not being utilized as heated living space, it is my interpretation of the FIA rules that places the lowest floor at an upper elevated level. Therefore, in my opinion, the insurance premium should be quite low. However, if this were not the case, the lowest floor would be at ground level, and the insurance premium would be quite high, a cost that would be passed on to the consumer. The point of this story is that a house with lower insurance premiums, which is to say a safe house and full compliance with all the building codes, is more attractive to a home buyer. Since insurance is part of the picture, builders and homeowners should check with the local officials and their insurance agents to find out just what compliance is for their area. Today, we talked about the environmental forces of wind, water, and sand, and the impact these all have on a coastal home. We tried to give you an overview of the type of structural connections that will anchor the home and the assorted bracing techniques that will make it an even stronger structure. We also reviewed briefly the subjects of utilities, lower area enclosures, and the whole matter of insurance premiums for the builder and homeowner. Hopefully next time we'll go into these points in a little more detail. Until then, this is Kevin Murray for Best Build.