What must appliances and equipment be furnished with to prevent damage to the building structure?

To prevent damage to the building structure, appliances and equipment must be furnished with load distributing bases. These bases serve a critical function by spreading the weight and pressure of the equipment over a larger area, which helps to mitigate stress and potential damage to the flooring or structural components of the building.

This is particularly important for heavy appliances, which can exert significant forces on the surfaces they rest upon. By using load distributing bases, any localized pressure is alleviated, reducing the risk of structural compromise that could lead to cracking, warping, or other forms of damage.

While safety alarms, support beams, and inspection ports are important features in their own right—addressing concerns like safety monitoring, structural integrity, and maintenance access respectively—they do not play the primary role of alleviating the direct mechanical pressure that equipment can impose on a building's structure.