Upgrading building codes post 9/11. (Insiders Outlook).

Following the New York City and Washington, D.C. attacks many voices uttered the demise of future skyscrapers of great height. The argument was that such towers presented an inviting target for terrorist attack. Another argument, financial in nature, was that developers would never be able to find companies willing to risk their employees' lives by occupying such towers and risking future attack of similar scale.

Keep in mind that most experts say that there is no modern skyscraper designed to withstand the devastating effects of the impact and subsequent explosions. One WTC's collapse occurred almost 105 minutes after impact allowing for evacuation; 2 WTC collapsed in just under an hour. Various engineering committees will issue a host of position papers by year-end addressing issues of safety and security for new structures.

These will include proposals for code changes for upgrading nearly every building system: Emergency access and egress, improvements to structural systems and life safety systems, vertical transportation.

Owners should retain only those consultants - architects, engineers, elevator and security consultants, et al., who will devote a substantial effort to identifying state of the art systems triggered by Sept. 11. Design abs security professionals need to understand the specific needs for each project -- taking into account the general and special uses; height and footprint requirements; market for tenants; likelihood that the building will be viewed as a "higher than normal" target for terrorists; percentage of the construction budget allocated for upgrades and special protection measures; investment credits that may be permitted in special circumstances; and additional insurance costs that will undoubtedly be incurred for owners that do not incorporate the newly established minimum standard safety and security provisions that lenders, insurers and tenants will demand.

Design professionals repeatedly stressed the importance of a safe egress from building which includes decreased travel distance to exits, widening of stairs at the lower levels of buildings and hardening stairwells will likely be urged. "Areas of refuge" every three or four floors with higher fire rated walls and signal devices for occupants to use until help arrives may become an industry norm.

Upgrading structural materials will provide more fire resistance with the use of reinforced concrete cores or concrete-encased steel exterior columns.

Also lower flame spread for interior materials, especially carpets and fabrics specifications, use of more non-combustible materials that limit the amount of smoke produced during fire.

Parking facilities, often located below or adjacent to many skyscrapers, and highly vulnerable to explosives, may be moved further from main buildings. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic flows may be modified to place them at a safer distance from building entry points and parking areas. Relocating entry points and loading docks are necessary to limit the possibility of the delivery of explosives or chemical material.

Planners will also consider widespread use of typical seismic design specifications and devises making skyscrapers more inherently stable during an earthquake or impact event. Seismic switches indicate impact, counterweight displacement devices; rope retainers; snag guards at every 5th floor, and cable nets under elevator floors to prevent cab "break-up" at impact. Glass and curtain wall design for new-buildings will be closely evaluated. Laminated glass, which is less likely to shatter and damage occupants, may become a more frequent choice for interior design reserved now for safety and high traffic conditions. All high-rise buildings will have at least one elevator that will be used to accommodate medical stretchers.

Electrical systems, on the whole, will be enhanced to support redundant monitoring systems required for emergency situations. Such changes will immediately take effect on emergency lighting, fire warden control panels, and back-up energy generators.

By keeping outside air from entering a building, the facility must be kept at a positive pressure, and thus, help keep harmful bacteria or viruses from entering the structure. Air intakes will be relocated to higher floors, with greater security at the intakes. This will prevent the introduction of toxic materials. Also higher density filters and electronic sensors, tied to a central monitoring station, at various places in the duct system will screen toxic gases like HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Filters), systems which can catch 99.97% of viruses and particles down to .01 microns.

Hoistway pressurization is a technique that provides air into hoistway shafts to prevent smoke from entering. Though not presently required by current New York City codes, this practice would be very useful for fire fighting as an additional line of defense or another avenue of escape that is "smoke free."

Every high-rise building will have a dedicated firefighters' lift incorporated into the stair core. Such a measure should include, a minimum of two such lifts located in or adjacent to the fire exit stair cores; ability to stop at every floor and to pickup handicap employees at refuge landings; and important machine room upgrades.

As with so many other aspects of our lives in the post-Sept. 11 tragedy, the design and construction of major facilities in the United States will undergo a series of noticeable changes. Just as building design changed or life and fire safety concepts increased when the needs and demands of earlier years warranted, so too will our future buildings undergo revision and become the new norm.