Laura Ghorbi, PE, CFM
RAMPP

 Familiarize floodplain administrators with building codes
 Familiarize building code officials with floodplain ordinances
 Identify where building codes and floodplain ordinances overlap and where the gaps are
 Discuss the different approaches to adopting floodplain management provisions
 Understand where higher standards may exist and how to coordinate with the building code
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 NFIP participating municipalities must adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that meet the minimum requirements of the
NFIP.
 The regulations must:
 Be legally enforceable
 Applied uniformly throughout the community
 Floodplain regulations are usually found in one of, or a combination of, five types of regulations: “stand alone”, zoning ordinances, building codes, subdivision regulations and sanitary regulations.
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ALL development in the SFHA requires a permit
Definition of development (as per 44 CFR
59):
Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations, or storage of equipment or materials
Poquoson, VA (from FEMA Region III)
Ensure you have a process for capturing all floodplain development

Set forth in 44 CFR Section 60.3
 Site reasonably safe from flooding
 Construct to minimize flood damage
 Use flood damage-resistant materials
 Foundation and elevation requirements
 Design to prevent flotation, collapse, lateral movement during flooding
 Design or locate equipment to prevent water entry
 Substantial Improvement/Substantial
Damage requirements
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 Required below the BFE
 Withstand prolonged contact with floodwaters
 FEMA guidance in Technical
Bulletin 2
Image source: FEMA file photo
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A Zones
 Slab-on-fill
 Fully-enclosed foundation wall
(flood openings required)
 Open foundation on piers, posts, pilings, or columns
V Zones
 Open foundation on columns or pilings
 Designed by a registered design professional
FEMA Quick Reference Guide: Comparison of Select NFIP & Building Code Requirements

A Zones: top of lowest floor to or above BFE
FEMA Region III, Poquoson, VA
V Zones: bottom of lowest horizontal structural member to or above BFE
FEMA Region III, Tinicum, PA
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 Structures and utilities must be anchored to resist the effects of flotation , collapse , and lateral movement
Presenter’s Name June 17, 2003 9
Image source: FEMA file photo

A Zones
 Limited to parking, building access, and limited storage
 At least two openings no more than 1 foot above grade
 One square inch of opening for each square foot of enclosed space
 Engineered openings required certification
V Zones
 Limited to parking, building access, and limited storage
 Space must be free of obstruction, or
 Breakaway walls, open lattice, or louvers
Yardley Borough, PEMA
Compliant openings
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 Permitted only for non-residential structures in A Zone floodplains
 Structure must be made watertight
 To or above BFE (or BFE +1 foot for insurance purposes)
 Requires certification by a registered design professional
Image: Whole Building Design Guide, National Institute of Building Sciences
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• Cost to restore or improve the structure equals or exceeds 50% of its market value
• If damaged, use the pre-damage market value
• Must be brought into full compliance
Middletown Borough, Dauphin County, PA (from PEMA) Town of Bloomsburg, Columbia County, PA (from PEMA)
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 Storage of materials
 Paving and grading
 Placement of fill
 Recreational vehicles and temporary structures
 Alteration of watercourse
 Must have same or greater capacity
 Must maintain capacity over time
Image source: SC Quick Guide for Mapping
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• NFIP requirements are performance-based
• 11 Technical Bulletins provide prescriptive guidance for compliance
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The flood provisions of the 2012 and 2009 I-Codes meet or exceed
National Flood Insurance Program minimum requirements for buildings and structures .
I-Codes do not meet the minimum NFIP requirements for other development unless adopting:
• In their entirety,
• Appendix G of the IBC,
• Chapter 1 (administration), AND
• No limiting amendments
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Prescriptive Code via IRC
 The more prescriptive the code, the more engineering is behind the requirements – and the less individual design is required
 Details the specifications for construction standards
 Design professional only required where proposal is outside of the specifications of the code
Performance Code via IBC
 Leave it to the designer and engineer to decide how to achieve that performance
 Need a technical professional
 References other prescriptive standards (like ASCE 24)
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 Addresses flood-related administrative requirements
 The only place in the I-Code that addresses development other than buildings
G101 Administration
G102 Applicability
G103 Powers and Duties
G104 Permits
G105 Variances
G201 Definitions
G301 Subdivisions
G401 Site Improvement
G501 Manufactured Homes
G601 Recreational Vehicles
G701 Tanks
G801 Other Building Work
G901 Temp Structures & Temp
Storage
G1001 Utility & Miscellaneous Group U
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ASCE 7, Minimum Design
Loads for Buildings and Other
Structures
 Cited by IBC
 Flood loads include:
 Hydrostatic loads
 Hydrodynamic loads
 Wave loads
 Impact loads (from debris and ice)
ASCE 24, Flood Resistant
Design and Construction
 Cited by IBC and IRC
 Specific limitations, minimum requirements, and performance standards for the design and construction of buildings and structures in flood hazard areas
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 How are administrative provisions of the codes handled?
 Many States modify or rewrite
 Some States allow communities to write their own
 Some States use a single chapter for all codes
 Duties and powers of the building official
 Granting modifications
 Content of construction documents and plans
 Inspections
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 The Floodplain Administrator and the Building Code Official are both responsible for ensuring compliance and confirming as-built conditions
 I-Codes call for at least:
 Lowest floor or footer inspection to be conducted to allow for correction of possible violation prior to further vertical construction
 Survey before final inspection
 Final as-built inspection
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 Base Flood Elevation (BFE) and Design Flood Elevation (DFE)
 DFE is always BFE or higher
 In most communities, DFE = BFE
 DFE is greater than BFE if a community regulates beyond the
SFHA on the effective FIRM
 DFE is NOT BFE + freeboard
 Freeboard is typically included as an additional height above the BFE or DFE in lowest floor elevation requirements
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 Delineated using LiMWA
 Flood hazards can be much greater than in riverine Zone A:
Waves 1.5 to 3 feet high are capable of causing structural damage and erosion
Older FIRMs may fail to reflect changing site conditions as a result of long-term erosion
 Higher Standard: IBC places Zone V requirements in the Coastal A Zone where delineated
 Higher Standard: IRC requires 1 foot of freeboard in the Coastal A Zone where delineated
Image source: FEMA P-55
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 Higher elevation requirements for critical and essential facilities, depending on occupancy and purpose of building
Image source: FEMA file photo
Image source: stock photo
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 What edition of the code was adopted and who is the agency?
 How is the code adopted? (at the State level, etc.)
 Are there amendments or modifications?
 The regulations in the building codes and local floodplain management ordinance to meet or exceed the requirements of the NFIP
 How to enforce all floodplain management requirements across all codes and ordinances
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
Department of Consumer
Include agency references N/A
 Must know how it works in each state – most important to know who to talk to and understand how it is adopted
Maryland
Department of Housing and Community
Development
State-wide code
Municipalities can adopt higher standards
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia
Department of Labor and
Industry
Department of Housing and Community
Development
Fire Commission, Office of State Fire Marshall
State-wide code
Municipalities can adopt higher standards
State-wide code
Municipalities can adopt higher floodplain standards
State-wide code
Municipalities can adopt higher standards
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Three main approaches to adoption and enforcement
 Stand-alone ordinances
 Companion or Wrap-around ordinances
 I-Codes: in their entirety, with Appendix G of the IBC, Chapter 1,
AND no limiting amendments
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 Might be easier to administer and enforce
 One ordinance contains all NFIP requirements for development standards
 Developers and officials can easily see the requirements in one place
 Ensure that all offices/agencies are aware of floodplain standards when inconsistent
 May not be coordinated with other regulations or codes
– regulations could be in conflict
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 Use the building code for design and construction of buildings and structures
 Use a companion ordinance for administrative provisions:
 Adoption of effective maps (and map revisions)
 Floodway encroachment analyses
 SI/SD determinations
 Variances/modifications
 Use a companion ordinance for development activities that are not regulated by the building code
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 Must have both IBC and IRC, with flood provisions intact
 Must capture existing buildings
 Must retain administrative provisions (flood)
 Must capture buildings exempt from the code
 Must adopt Appendix G (administrative and development other than buildings)
 Must understand where each NFIP requirement is met
 Amendments must not weaken the code
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If the community has both floodplain management ordinances and the I-Codes in effect:
 The more restrictive prevails
 Understand which office is responsible for each requirement
 Go through coordination process to identify differences and gaps
 Decide how best to resolve those differences and eliminate the gaps (change code, change ordinance, rely on case-by-case application of “more restrictive prevails”)
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NFIP Regulations (44 CFR Parts 59 & 60
)
Local Floodplain
Management
Regulations* or
IBC Appendix G*
Building Code
Flood Resistant
Buildings and
Development
ASCE 7
ASCE 24
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 Worksheets to help ensure communities meet all NFIP requirements
 Helps to identify what to capture in a companion ordinance
 Crosswalks of I-Codes to NFIP regulations
 Sample plan review and inspection checklists
Currently being updated – 4 th
Edition coming in Summer 2014
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 The NFIP minimums regulate all development in the SFHA
 Remember, nearly all of the NFIP minimum requirements for buildings and structures are ALREADY found in the building code
 But, other forms of development may not be captured in the building code (for instance, placement of fill)
 Higher standards likely exist in local floodplain management ordinances
 Building Code Officials and Floodplain Administrators must work together on administration and enforcement
 Uncoordinated enforcement results in non-compliance, higher insurance premiums, and increased risk to life and property.
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 FEMA Building Science Homepage: http://www.fema.gov/buildingscience
Click on Building Code Resources
 Flood Resistant Provisions of the 2012 and 2009 I-Codes
 Highlights of ASCE 24-05, Flood Resistant Design and
Construction
 Provisions of the I-Codes and ASCE 24 Compared to the NFIP
 I-Codes vs. NFIP checklists
 Building Science Helpline: 1(866) 927-2104 or FEMA-
Buildingsciencehelp@fema.dhs.gov
 For further questions on the NFIP, contact your State Floodplain
Manager
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 FEMA-R3-FMI@fema.dhs.gov
- FEMA Region III Floodplain
Management and Insurance Branch
Washington, D.C.
Delaware
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia
Phetmano Phannavong,
P.E., CFM
Michael Powell, CFM
David Guignet, P.E., CFM
Daniel Fitzpatrick, CFM
Charley Banks, CFM
Kevin Sneed, CFM
202-535-2248 phetmano.phannavong@dc.gov
302-739-9921 michael.powell@state.de.us
410-537-3775 dave.guignet@maryland.gov
717-720-7445 dafitzpatr@state.pa.us
804-371-6135 charley.banks@dcr.virginia.gov
304-957-2571 kevin.l.sneed@wv.gov
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