by KAREN O'SHEA
Chief Gerard Barbara said more builders were opting to use engineered, laminated wood I-beams instead of traditional beams cut from solid lumber. If not properly installed and protected by a firewall, the lighter-weight beams can give way in about five minutes during a fire, Barbara said.
Tuesday, the Buildings Department announced a pilot program in the borough -- partnering Buildings inspectors with firefighters to conduct joint inspections of building sites where lightweight construction materials are used.
Everything from wood I-beams to plate-connected wood floor trusses and light-gauge cold-formed steel -- lightweight materials used here more than in any other borough -- will draw closer scrutiny from the teams.
The lull in housing construction on Staten Island is allowing Buildings to roll out more pilot inspection programs and work out the kinks. When Barbara was interviewed in 2000, the housing industry was churning and industry experts worried that new buildings were going up faster than the city could inspect them.
Currently, a licensed architect or engineer must notify Buildings when lightweight construction materials are used in a project. A total of 1,485 such notifications were made in the Island from 2002 through 2007 -- more than any other borough.
Architects and engineers must conduct controlled inspections and provide Buildings with the results of those inspections, but there is no requirement that Buildings and FDNY officials inspect the materials.
"Ultimately, knowing where these materials exist in a building will help to ensure the safety of our members, construction workers and the public," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said in a statement this week.
However, joint inspections are not expected to begin until early next year, after Buildings and Fire officials have met to determine how and when they will be made, an FDNY spokesman said.
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