Safety of 'Lightweight Wood Construction' in Question after Massive Fire

"Two weeks after a fast-moving blaze nearly destroyed an Edgewater apartment complex, a bill introduced in the Assembly on Thursday calls for a moratorium on new multi-family developments using the same lightweight wood construction while the state evaluates its safety," reports Jean Rimbach.

Although there is still debate among legislators bout whether a moratorium is necessary, the bill would move quickly to put on hold "lightweight wood construction" and revise the building code for construction of multi-family apartments around the state. Rimbach provides the following details of how such a moratorium would be implemented and what kind of construction is in question:

• "The bill calls for the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs to evaluate the safety of light frame construction in multiple-unit dwellings, focusing on the hazards it poses in the event of a fire. Code would be revised based on the findings, prohibiting such construction in certain cases if appropriate."
• "The proposed legislation, in part, defines 'light frame construction' as any building method using metal-plate connected wood trusses or composite wood joists as floor or roof system structural elements.