Building debris caused by Calgary windstorm prompts call for building code review

A city team in Calgary is collecting information to better understand why three buildings in the city’s downtown core saw parts of their office tower launched to the ground in a windstorm recently, according to The Calgary Herald.The windstorm blew through Southern Alberta on Nov. 27, forcing the evacuation of Calgary’s downtown core. Winds were clocked between 77 km-h and 144 km-h throughout Southern Alberta.While there is no evidence of negligence, a city official is reported as telling The Herald, information is being collected to determine why two buildings saw pieces of their roof membrane ripped off, while others saw dozens of windows shattered.Kevin Griffiths, the city’s chief building official, told the Herald that he plans to raise concerns with the province about a potential regulatory gap that does not require buildings to upgrade as new building codes develop.”The Alberta Building Code primarily relates to construction or alteration,” Griffiths told the Herald. “There’s a bit of a gap in regards to the need for maintenance and documentation of that, versus standards you need to meet when it’s built new.”