Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 1356 - ORD Relating to Building Footings and Foundations Amending Code of ORD 111 n LJ Ordinance Number 1356 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO BUILDING FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATIONS; AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE., TEXAS; CONTAINING FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. WHEREAS, the City Council has received ominous reports of cracked and settled "building foundations, which in some cases have affected new homes; and WHEREAS, such cracks and, settling can destroy the value of a building; and WHEREAS, the City Council has been advised that two principal factors can lead to foundation problems in this area: (i) the lack of adequate piers beneath foundations and (ii) the use of what is called a IIpost tensionedll or IIcable tensionedll slab without careful supervision; and ' WHEREAS, the City Council is of the opinion that immediate action is necessary to reduce the chance of additional foundation problems in thi s City; [ NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, TEXAS: Section 1. Subparagraph (it) 0relating to footings and foundations) of Section 6-52 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of West Uni'versity'Place is hereby amended ito read in its entirety as follows: [ (ii) All footings and foundations must meet all of the requirements ofthe-Building,Code.) Jnaddition, all footings "and foundations of buildings must be adequately designed for the soil conditions and must contain adequate steel reinforcement, (with a minimum reinforcement of 6x6x6 wire mesh). In addition, all footings and foundations of buildings, except for projects involving only one story with no more than 300 square feet of gross floor area, must also me~t the fbllowing requirements: (A) the foundation must include piers sunk into the1earth to a depth sufficient to 'avoid damage or uneven settling caused by expansive~ or" ' contractive soils or non-load-bearing soils (the pier depth being determined by a soils "SRII report prepared by a r~cognized and reputable soulsinvestig,ation agency, or firm), (B) there must be piers ofsuff'icient .number and design to support the building in question, (C) the foundation must be illustrated in complete plans and specifications prepared, signed and sealed by a registered professional engineer, and (D) if the foundation includes any slab using IIpost tensionedll or IIcable tensionedll concrete, a registered -.. .,. , rr--r'I. 1 I II II'~' I I . I I I 'I~ .tftlJ1l!11lllt1.... 11'1 -,-- II rTirmmrrTT U[illIJ]llilllJ:1 _r ","""II!U;;)jJ' F ;;' LlliUJljLJi!l~ IllL, iU ;i ~. .' ,i;I' ";" t ~ oJ".. - j , .t 1 Ordinance Number 1356 112 professional engineer must certify to the Building Official, under oath, that the slab was carefully and correctly tensioned in the presence of, and under the direction and control of, a registered professional engineer and that the slab is properly constructed and completed. The Building Official may require that such certificte be made and delivered to the Building Official at any time after the tensioning work is done, but it shall be delivered, in any event, as a condition of receiving a certificate of occupancy. 1-----' I I ! 1 '---.J Section 2. This ordinance applies to all building foundations constructed after the date this ordinance becomes effective, except as provided in this section. The following special transitional rule shall apply to a foundation constructed after such effective date, but only if it is constructed in accordance with a buildirig permit that meets all of the following criteria: (i) the application for the permit (including plans and specifications and the required fee) is completed, signed and filed with the Building Official on or before such effective date, (ii) the permit is duly issued without significant changes in the plans and specifications, and (iii) the permit is not suspended, expired or revoked at the time,that the foundation in question is constructed. With respect to each foundation covered by such a building permit, the applicants for the permit may elect to proceed under the ordinances in effect prior to the passage of this ordinance, but only if they all make such election in a written instrument filed with the Building Official and only if the instrument states clearly that: (i) the applicants are aware that this ordinance is intended to prevent foundation problems and (ii) the applicants refuse to comply with this ordinance~ I~I l~j Section 3. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict only~ Section 4. If any word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, section or other part of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall ever be held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of thi~ brdinance and the application of such word, phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, section or other part of this ordinance to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. Section 5. The City Council officially finds, determines and declares that a sufficient written notice of the date, hour, place and subject of each meeting at which this ordinance was discussed, considered or acted upon was given in the manner required by the Open Meetings Law, TEX. REV. CIV. STAT., ANN. art. 6252-17, as amended, and that each such meeting has been open to the public as required by law at all times during such discussion, consideration and action. The City Council ratifies, approves 'and confirms such notices and the 11--1 contents and posting thereof. ~ Ordinance Number 1356 113 Section 6. The public importance of this measure and the requirements of the law create an emergency and an urgent public necessity requiring that this Ordinance be passed and take effect as an emergency measure, and a state of emergency is hereby declared, and this Or-dinance is accordingly passed as an emergency measure and shall take effect on the tenth day Jo,llowing its publication as prescribed by the City Charter. PASSED AND APPROVED this 23rd day of October , 1989. Vottng Aye: Voting No: Absent: Signed: Laura C. Higley, Mayo.r ~ ATTEST: , Approved as to Form: Audrey Nichols City Secretary (SEA~) James L. Dougherty, Jr. City Attorney u "' . ; 1"i7TiI ,LJ Iltl.II~1 I,::.j' "YI"-'if",1It1t"11J:lfatlltll..1I Ijj:I[:::i"::::~II]]Ijunm!IJI3n!Jii"-' .