Marshall County Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt presented to the Marshall County Council members this week an extensive list of changes that are mandated by the state that took effect on July 1.
DeWitt explained that Senate Enrolled Act 393 mandates that if a permit is issued blueprints and drawings of projects need to be submitted to the 911 dispatch personnel and local fire departments so they know the advanced structural components of that structure. He said trusses, I-joists, window and door headers now typically consist of laminate. This makes certain building materials unstable more quickly if it were to catch on fire.
“If you were just to take a roof that might have 2-by-10 rafters, the way we’ve done it for 100 years, it takes a certain amount of time to burn through that before the roof becomes unstable,” said DeWitt. “A truss, if you think about the components that go through it, there’s pressure points everywhere. Instead of that 2-by-10 we may only have a 2-by-4 bottom or webs, anything like that. Once any one of those burn, then that makes it unstable for a collapse.”
He said anything that requires a permit, including new construction and remodeling projects, will need to have a blueprint and drawings submitted to emergency personnel.
He added that this is a state mandate. This will slow the permitting process. A contractor education day will be held in the near future to explain the requirements.
