Intertek Session at FGIA Hybrid Fall Conference Focuses on Hurricane Standards, Testing, Product Approvals
A sponsored session during the 2022 Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) Hybrid Fall Conference centered around hurricane standards, product testing and the product approval process in Florida and Texas. Tanya Dolby, Engineering Manager, Engineering Services at Intertek (https://www.intertek.com) presented the seminar which covered the history, building codes, standards and testing, product approvals and general guidelines of hurricane standards.
"The first impact standard was a nine-pound, two-foot-by-four-foot timber defined in the Darwin Area Building Manual in 1974," said Dolby, giving a history on the topic, leading up to the current standard, the 2020 Florida Building Code (FBC). However, Florida is not the only state that handles hurricane standards, and Texas' needs from a manufacturer differ.
"A lot of times people want to test to qualify for both Florida and Texas codes and requirements at the same time," said Dolby. "In Texas, building code is decided at the local level so be aware of what you are testing. Be aware of the Texas Department of Insurance's (TDI's) windborne debris protection map, too."