Salt and water corrode metal. All coastal communities are prone to rusting fasteners and connections.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has regulations on fasteners to help prolong the life and keep structural integrity. If your business is constructing or substantially improving a property in a special hazard flood zone, your architect and/or engineer will need to include these regulations as part of the plan.
In this area, many coastal properties fall outside of the special flood hazard zone. This does not mean they are unaffected by salt spray from waves and onshore winds, if they are in close enough proximity to an ocean or salt water bay. FEMA recommends the stainless steel fasteners and/or hot tipped galvanized fasteners when building in coastal communities, regardless of the flood zone. They also recommend that inspection, replacement and maintenance of these products takes place frequently.
The FEMA manual on connectors and fasteners is specific to what the International Building Code requires and what is required by the National Flood Insurance Program. It is a great reference for best building practices for protecting a coastal property.
FEMA produces several other Technical Bulletins that can help protect properties in coastal communities that are prone to flooding:
