Coastal and Floodplain Construction Inspector's Practice Exam

If a deck is structurally attached to a building in a V zone, what is a requirement for its installation?

1. It must be removable.

2. It must be anchored to the foundation.

3. It must resist wave action and flooding.

4. It must only be elevated.

The correct answer is: It must resist wave action and flooding.

In a V zone, which refers to an area prone to high-velocity wave action, the design and construction of structures, including decks, must be resilient against the forces of waves and potential flooding. Therefore, the requirement that the deck must resist wave action and flooding is critical. This means that the deck needs to be engineered to withstand the impact of waves and the buoyant forces that result from flooding, ensuring that it does not compromise the integrity of the building it is attached to. This requirement emphasizes the importance of using appropriate materials and construction techniques that are suited to such dynamic environments. Structural attachments in these zones must account for the intensity of wave forces, which can be significantly greater than in other flood-prone areas. In this context, focusing on the deck's ability to endure these environmental stresses ensures safety and structural integrity. Other options, while they may touch upon important considerations in different contexts, do not directly address the primary requirement for decks in V zones concerning flood and wave resilience.