Question to Florida engineers

[struct_eeyore]

Does anyone know when Florida started requiring engineers (or architects) to stamp design drawings for single family homes?

 

[lexpatrie]

Why, pray, would you NOT properly stamp your work?

 

[JAE]

I think the OP is asking when Florida required homes to have a stamp.

 

[struct_eeyore]

JAE - correct. I'm working on a residential building from mid 70s and need to know if it would have been built per an engineered design, or just by a contractor, per standard/prescriptive practice

 

[StrEng007]

Search the SSBC that went into affect around 1973.

Also, if your project is located in south Florida, Miami Dade and surrounding areas created a 'South Florida Building Code' around the late 1950's. You'll have to see if any archived versions of these codes shed light on the residential aspect.

I've seen drawings going back as far as the 1940s that were signed/sealed, but they were large public structures.

 

[phamENG]

There are still sections of the Florida building code that allow you to build prescriptively. So just knowing when a house was built wouldn't tell you if it had been engineered. And even if it should have been doesn't mean it actually was.

 

[struct_eeyore]

pham,

Technically yes, but every jurisdiction I've worked with always required architect/engineer stamped drawings. Based on what I've read up on in the last day, the stamp requirements do seem to be very much jurisdiction based - might try calling the county, but I doubt anyone there has any idea.

 

[Aesur]

@struct_eeyore, out of curiosity, why would it matter if it had been engineered originally?

 

[struct_eeyore]

It's regarding a forensic report I'm putting together for a post hurricane failure. It would help my case to be able to say the building was built per typical construction practice, rather than being an engineered design.

 

[SWComposites]

Can you ask the local AHJ if they have the building permit and plans?

 

[Aesur]

@struct_eeyore - Interesting, thanks for the response, was trying to wrap my head around why you would need to know it and this makes sense.

 

[lexpatrie]

Yeah I don't get it, but whatever. The statewide code for Florida came in around 2000, prior to that it depended on where you were.