Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Los Angeles Is Gearing Up to Ban Wood-Frame Construction. Renters Will Soon Pay the Price.
pacific research institute ^ | 19 Nov 2021 | M. NOLAN GRAY

Posted on 11/21/2021 8:27:57 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT

Over the summer, the Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee approved a proposal to expand Fire District 1, an anachronistic planning overlay that would effectively ban wood-frame construction in much of the city. Superficially premised as a measure to improve fire safety, the motion has been heavily promoted by special interests in the concrete industry, who would heavily benefit from the prohibition. Yet as less partial observers have pointed out, the motion would significantly increase the cost of constructing housing in Los Angeles, to no clear fire safety benefit.

According to a report by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, expanding Fire District 1 would raise building materials costs by anywhere from 10.6 to 47.1 percent.

Few would doubt the need for robust fire safety or strict building standards. But the reality is that expanding Fire District 1 improves upon neither.

(Excerpt) Read more at pacificresearch.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: powergrab
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last
To: DUMBGRUNT

And here’s how you know that leftists are morons and retarded.

Concrete (according to leftist propaganda) does far FAR more harm to contribute to global warming because it has a higher carbon factor. But now they want all houses to be built with it in California.

Why?

Because, like, we have to stop houses made from wood from burning in forest fires.

What causes forest fires?

Lightning strikes or out of control camp fires (or *cough* intentional arson by antifa *cough*) burn through dry forests - especially dense ones.

Why are they so dense?

Because we PROTECT the forests and let them grow organically and without human interference because we are GREEN!

So... wouldn’t it make more sense to cut trees down to make firebreaks in the forests and manage density to cut down on forest fires (which destroy WHOLE FORESTS) and then use THAT wood for home construction? Economic. Efficient and also GREEN - because it both saves the forests and will stop concrete housing which is more environmentally damaging.

“Because shut up you white fascist!”


21 posted on 11/21/2021 8:54:39 AM PST by Skywise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: crz

It is hilarious when the CA lefties talk about “sustainable development”.

Most of the larger cities are on earthquake fault lines!

You can’t get less “sustainable” than that.


22 posted on 11/21/2021 8:56:55 AM PST by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Concrete structure supported by Cinese steel. What can go wrong?


23 posted on 11/21/2021 8:57:12 AM PST by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 33:12))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FreedomPoster

That said, stick built apartments are generally crap inside of 30 years in my estimation.

FWIW
In China, concrete buildings are generally crap as soon as the construction crews leave ...


24 posted on 11/21/2021 8:58:51 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: SMARTY

I guess it doesn’t matter when the BIG SLIDE comes. Unless that it can float...


25 posted on 11/21/2021 9:00:33 AM PST by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Steel studs and trusses is their answer, not concrete block


26 posted on 11/21/2021 9:01:46 AM PST by Ouderkirk (The democRATS are not looking to govern, they intend to RULE.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Platform


27 posted on 11/21/2021 9:11:24 AM PST by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Oddly, concrete burns better than you’d imagine and the right pressure-treated lumber burns far less easily than you’d imagine. There’s a big movement to use lumber in the sort of construction long dominated by concrete and rebar


28 posted on 11/21/2021 9:25:10 AM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Indeed I was in the 94 Northridge quake and the stuff broke like glass.


29 posted on 11/21/2021 9:29:38 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Good. Maybe lumber prices will come down in NC.


30 posted on 11/21/2021 9:36:46 AM PST by moovova (I'm dismayed that most of the world hates me for being non-vaxxed. Honest. No, really.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Reno89519

>> More costly, yes, but anyone with half of mine can see that a brick or concrete building is less of a fire hazard than a wood constructed one. <<

I’ve got about two-thirds of a copper mine, but I’m not sure how that helps.

In seriousness, concrete turns to dust in a fire. The materials around the concrete burn enough for this to happen.


31 posted on 11/21/2021 9:40:47 AM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: dangus

I misstated this: Concrete BUILDINGS burn better than you’d imagine. The concrete doesn’t actually burn; it just crumbles into dust while everything AROUND it burns. The crumbling allows the fire to move through a building.


32 posted on 11/21/2021 9:41:57 AM PST by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Ouderkirk

“Steel studs and trusses is their answer, not concrete block”

I read the posts looking for one like yours. Agreed.

Aren’t most commercial buildings done with metal as you describe?

Why are there so many posts here that don’t mention steel?


33 posted on 11/21/2021 9:43:36 AM PST by cymbeline
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber
Concrete block construction cracks and crumbles in earthquakes!

Well, then we just need special seismic construction procedures to address that issue, that can cost much….. you know wood has flexibility…..

34 posted on 11/21/2021 9:45:46 AM PST by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: upchuck

And yet it’s people from your state and others who come to California and ruin this place. 90% of all leftists in California were not born in California


35 posted on 11/21/2021 9:45:57 AM PST by charles_covington
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Pretty sure l the concrete will come from china. Do they even make cement in California anymore?


36 posted on 11/21/2021 9:46:17 AM PST by I got the rope
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cgbg

Not only that, a few are built near volcanoes.

Naples Italy for one.

As far as Earthquakes go, the whole dang island of Japan.

They found out during the 2011 quake that the skyscrapers not only swayed, they quivered. I have seen discussion from engineers that said those buildings had only a few more minutes and they would have started coming apart.

You ought to see the videos of them. They when high speed on the videos and when I saw that I went HOLY COW!


37 posted on 11/21/2021 9:53:28 AM PST by crz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

Concrete construction will give more of a third world look and feel to match the population


38 posted on 11/21/2021 10:01:39 AM PST by dsrtsage ( Complexity is just simple lacking imaginationd)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT
Build them out of masonry materials because it is well known that is the best solution in earthquake country.


39 posted on 11/21/2021 10:02:34 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“…in any great disaster, there's a Harvard man in the middle of it.” ~ Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DUMBGRUNT

Mud huts don’t burn, well, not well anyway... unless the cow dung pile gets lit too.

Insane has many names..

‘California DemocRats’ is but one of them.


40 posted on 11/21/2021 10:02:35 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Monthly Donors Rock!!! In CONgre$$ WE're Disgusted!! Joe McCarthy was right.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson