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Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

(OP)
Hi everyone...my first thread here at eng-tips.

I'm in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) in Florida. I'm checking some calcs for a roof top light pole base on top of a 3 story parking garage. According to FBC 1620.6, the lateral force on rooftop structures and equipment shall be determined using GCf = 3.1. The rooftop light poles should be designed per that section, right?

RE: Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

I have run into this question before as well. I think it depends what you are using as your wind design standard. If you are using the provisions of the FBC, which are similar to the provisions of ASCE 7-10, then I don't see how you wouldn't classify the light pole as a rooftop structure. If you use the provisions of TIA-222-G for antenna-supporting structures (many flagpoles are actually concealing antennas), then the rooftop effects are treated differently and I don't think you would need to design for the large rooftop factors of the FBC.

RE: Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

(OP)
Thank you, sekwahrovert. We are using the provisions of FBC. I'm in agreement with you. I'm just having trouble getting the specialty engineer to design the pole and base accordingly.

RE: Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

olo3000...are you the EOR? If so, YOU dictate to the specialty engineer what you expect for the design parameters. That's a requirement in Chapter 471 of Florida Statutes and Rules 61G of the Florida Administrative Code. It is a requirement that you dictate the parameters and a requirement that you check to see that he/she met your intent.

I've done hundreds of projects as the "specialty engineer". When I'm not given proper instruction by the EOR, I do it the way I interpret the requirements to be. If the EOR disagrees, then I have to do it his way (unless he's just blatantly wrong and I can show him so). The EOR calls the shots, not the specialty engineer.

RE: Florida Building Code - Are Rooftop Light Poles Considered Rooftop Structures in the HVHZ?

(OP)
Ron,

My boss is the EOR. We had already specified that the poles be designed as rooftop structures, but we have received two calc submittals ignoring that. That's why I just wanted to be sure that we were not asking for something unreasonable.

Thanks for input.

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