The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-11-09
BUILDING CODE
 IS CONSIDERED
 BY COUNC|LMEN
City Is Planning for More Mo dern and Safer
 Construction

A code for building construction designed to protect the lives and property of the people of Juneau, is one of the most necessary things to be considered at the present time, according to N. Lester Troast, who represented his associates at the City Council meeting last night in dis cussion of the proposed ordinance.
 Juneau must be considered as a city larger than town of the same population in the States, MT. Troast said. Service to surrounding terri tory and the fact that Juneau is the seat of the Federal administra- ton, require consideration of Ju- neau as city of 25.000 population, he stated.
 MT. Troast suggested the inclusion of laminated construction of walls and floors under Section IS, of the new building code. He said that type of construction is becoming in- creasingly popular and cited several local examples. including the Decker building, the Shattuck building, and the Juneau Motors building.
 Stair Wells
 With regard to Section l9, MT. Troast stated that fire escapes are pretty much a think of the past in 1st1e Juneau area because of snow and ice, being replaced by enclosed stair wells and stairs of fire-resistant materials.
 With regard to marquees, MT. Troast suggested that the minimum height, as required by the existing draft of the proposed building code, be lowered from nine feet to eight feet. thereby lowering the height of plate glass windows and lessening the danger of wreckage by Taku winds.
 The minimum height of chimneys should be two feet instead of three feet as required in the new code, MT. Troast said, and the code should contain special clauses covering the chimneys of larger buildings and in- dustrial plants. A lining of terra cotta or fire brick should be required for all chimneys over l50 square in- ches, he said.
 Dry cleaners, garages, paint stores, and other business with unusual fire hazards should be required to build certain types of storage sheds and to keep combustible mterials at a suitable distance from other build ings.
 Ventilation
 Clauses covering proper ventila- tion-mechanical ventilation if nec- essary suitable glass areas. and other health measures should be in- cluded in the code. MT. Troast said as well as means of egress, exits, stairs, and stair landings. The light ing of halls and corridors of public buildings should also receive con- sideration.
 Establishment of fire zones-re- quiring certain types of construction in certain areas-is also important, he said.
 One of the most important things to be dealt with, are definite clauses the loads and stresses on different types of materials, and the loads on floors, walls and roofs of public buildings. He mentioned the pressure of Taku winds and the pres sure of soil from the hills surround ing Juneau, as forces that should be considered in the building code.
 "The building code should pro- vide safety for the citizens of Ju- neau.' he said.
 A motion was passed by the Coun- cil to table the building code until the next meeting forS further con- sideration and to enable contractors and dealers to make additional sug- gestions.