Alabama Administrative Code
Title 535 - ALABAMA MANUFACTURED HOUSING COMMISSION
Chapter 535-X-13 - REGULATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF MANUFACTURED HOMES AND MANUFACTURED BUILDINGS AND THE MANUFACTURE OF GROUND ANCHORS AND TIEDOWN DEVICES
Section 535-X-13-.02 - Definitions

(1) Ground Anchor - any device at the manufactured home or manufactured building site designed for the purpose of securing a manufactured home or manufactured building to the ground.

(2) Stabilizer Plate - a device used to prevent horizontal movement of a ground anchor.

(3) Tiedown - means any device designed to anchor a manufactured home or manufactured building to ground anchors.

(4) Pier - that portion of the support system between the top of the footing and the bottom of the pier cap.

(5) Vertical Anchor Tie - an anchor tie designed primarily to resist overturning by applying a force to the home or building in a direction no more than 15 degrees from the vertical.

(6) Diagonal Anchor Tie - an anchor tie designed primarily to resist sliding horizontally.

(7) Roof Protector - a device designed to prevent over-the-roof tiedowns from damaging or penetrating the roof material.

(8) Pier Footing or Foundation - the structural support pad that a pier is placed upon.

(9) Pier cap - a concrete or wood plate placed on top of the highest open cell block of the pier.

(10) Install or Installation - siting, placing or anchoring a manufactured home or manufactured building, either one or more units, to land, upon footings, piers or foundations, or connecting the home or building to public or private utilities. Public or private utilities shall not be classified as installers under this section.

(11) Installer - any person who sites, anchors, places, connects, sets up or installs a manufactured home or manufactured building upon land, footings, piers or foundations.

(12) Manufactured Building - a closed structure, building assembly or systems of subassemblies which may include structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, utility service lines, footings, foundations, porches or other service systems manufactured in manufacturing facilities, for installation or erection, with or without other specified components, as a finished building or as a part of a finished building, which shall include, but not be limited to, residential dwelling units, commercial, institutional, storage and industrial structures. Mobile homes or manufactured homes are excluded. Manufactured building may also mean at the option of the manufacturer, any building of open construction made or assembled in manufacturing facilities away from the building site, for installation, or assembly and installation on the building site.

(13) Manufactured Home - as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(14) ANSI - The American National Standards Institute or its successor.

(15) NFPA - The National Fire Protection Association or its successor.

(16) Commission - The Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission (AMHC).

(17) Hurricane Zone - an area of Alabama that has encountered sustained winds of 100 mph or more. Mobile and Baldwin counties are designated as such zones.

(18) Site - an area of land that a manufactured home or manufactured building is installed upon. It is defined as the area under the home to include a 5 ft. perimeter around the home.

(19) Approved - all devices that have been tested according to the ANSI standards and requirements, and are capable of withstanding and resisting all such loads without failure as required by the ANSI standard for the testing of ground anchors and tiedown devices. Approved shall also mean all systems and devices meeting the Department of Housing and Urban Development's standards and/or the American Society of Testing of Materials standards for ground anchors and tiedown devices.

(20) Anchoring System - A combination of ties, anchoring equipment, and ground anchors that will, when properly designed and installed, resist the overturning or sideways movement of the home caused by wind.

Author: Jim Sloan