Safe Rooms
Wind testing shows how concrete walls hold up in a hurricane
When hurricanes howl, the greatest danger to people and property is flying debris.
Carried at such intense velocity, a 2 x 4 piece of lumber will become a missile that
can slice through walls. Researchers for the Wind Engineering Research Center at
Texas Tech University say that concrete walls are strong enough to withstand
flying debris from hurricanes and tornadoes. According to their findings, homes
made of concrete are much more storm-resistant than houses constructed of wood
and steel.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
To duplicate hurricane-like conditions in the laboratory, researchers shot wall
sections with 15-pound 2 x 4 lumber "missiles" at up to 100 mph, simulating debris
carried in a 250 mph wind. These conditions cover all but the most severe
tornadoes. Hurricane wind speeds are less than the speeds modeled here.
Missile tests designed to demonstrate damage from hurricanes use a 9-pound
missile traveling about 34 mph.
Researchers tested 4 x 4-foot sections of concrete block, several types of
insulating concrete forms, steel studs, and wood studs to rate performance in high
winds. The sections were finished as they would be in a completed home: drywall,
fiberglass batt insulation, plywood sheathing, and exterior finishes of vinyl siding,
clay brick, or stucco.
All the concrete wall systems survived the tests with no structural damage.
Lightweight steel and wood stud walls, however, offered little or no resistance to
the "missile." The 2 x 4 ripped through them.
Reinforced concrete homes have proven their wind-resistance in the field during
tornadoes and hurricanes. In Urbana, Illinois, a recently constructed insulating
concrete form home withstood a 1996 tornado with minimal damage. In the Liberty
City area of Miami, several homes built using the gunite technique survived
Hurricane Andrew in 1992. In both cases, neighboring homes were destroyed.
"The results of the tests were not surprising, but they were dramatic," says Donn
Thompson, PCA’s residential technology program manager. "Concrete walls meet
both the criteria needed to protect occupants in a severe storm—structural
integrity and missile shielding ability."
It would be nice to know that your entire home was hurricane proof being built with
reinforced concrete however, a safe room can provide you and your family with a
safe haven from storms at a fraction of the cost.
Please call us and we will help you to choose a safe room that looks great and fits
your particular need.
