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DBI to centralize selection of outside experts for tall-building reviews after Millennium Tower issues
Summary
The Building Inspection Commission heard President's announcements that DBI will select future peer-review participants for buildings 240 feet and taller, launch an RFQ to create a paid pool of academic and professional experts, and strengthen internal review processes ahead of the 2017 code cycle.
The Building Inspection Commission on Nov. 16 heard an extended announcement that the Department of Building Inspection will centralize selection of outside peer-review experts for tall-building projects following lessons from the Millennium Tower situation. The change applies to future projects 240 feet or taller and to designs that use performance-based approaches rather than prescriptive code methods.
In the announcements, the commission said the department “will select all future peer review participants” and will develop a request-for-qualifications to build a roster of professional and academic experts to advise DBI on tall-building design review. The department plans to pay experts directly on an as-needed basis to supplement staff capability, particularly for complex performance-modeling tasks that DBI staff said it may not have in-house.
DBI said the new RFQ-based pool could “supplement or possibly replace the existing peer review process,” allowing the department to assess structural-performance modeling independently instead of relying on reviewers proposed by project sponsors. For projects sited on very poor soils (referred to in the presentation as soils Class F), DBI said additional geotechnical engineers and other specialized experts may be required for an expert-panel review.
The announcement also referenced the department’s triennial code update, which staff said the Board of Supervisors approved so the new code can take effect on Jan. 1, 2017. Commissioners and staff praised technical services personnel for keeping the code cycle on schedule.
The president’s remarks also welcomed Katie Shierping as a new staffer for the Small Business Acceleration Program located at 1660 Mission St., noting initial focus on supporting restaurant startups with permit navigation assistance.
The commission did not take formal action on the peer-review policy during the meeting; staff described the RFQ and internal planning as immediate next steps. The department said it is coordinating with the Mayor’s Office, the City Administrator and the Board of Supervisors on the implementation details.
