RISON - Superintendent Craig Dupuy warned the Cleveland County School Board Tuesday night that costs for new construction on school campuses will likely skyrocket as the new International Building Code 2021 guidelines that went into effect this past November requires many public buildings to include space that serves as a storm shelter.
Dupuy said the new IBC 2021 guidelines require any new construction of a public building that can occupy 50 or more people to include reinforced safe room space that will withstand winds of up to 250 mph. He said the guidelines require at least 5 square foot of shelter space for every person that could be in the room.
The problem with that regulation, Dupuy said, is that the cost of building sheltered rooms that meet those requirements runs about $500 to $600 per square foot. Traditional construction for public buildings is currently running between $200 and $300 per square foot.
Dupuy said any construction plans that were not approved buy the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities & Transportation before Dec. 31, 2022, will have to meet the IBC 2021 requirements.
"This one has thrown us for a big loop," Dupuy told the school board during its regular monthly meeting.
The Cleveland County School Board is currently considering the possibility of building a new gym as well as expanding the (continued from page 1) Rison School cafeteria this year. Dupuy said there are still some nuances about the new regulations that are still to be determined. He questioned whether the entire structure would have to be built to meet the shelter requirements, or could just a portion of the building be shelter as long as there was enough space?
For instance, Dupuy said the proposed plans for the new gym includes space for a new band room and a new choir room. Dupuy questioned if just those two rooms were reinforced, and had enough space for everyone, would that meet code?...
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