flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Four Products That Stand Up to Hurricanes

Four Products That Stand Up to Hurricanes

What do a panelized wall system, a newly developed roof hatch, spray polyurethane foam, and a custom-made curtain wall have in common? They’ve been extensively researched and tested for their ability to take abuse from the likes of Hurricane Katrina.


By By Susan Bady, Contributing Editor | February 11, 2011
This article first appeared in the February 2011 issue of BD+C.

Owners of buildings in hurricane zones want to minimize damage and get tenants back in their homes or offices as soon as possible after a storm. So the onus is on the Building Team to find, specify, and—when necessary—engineer products and systems to ever-higher standards. The powerful hurricanes of the past 20 years have resulted in more stringent building codes and standards as well as more rigorous product testing.

In Florida, for example, the Miami-Dade County Building Department issues a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) to products only after they’ve passed intensive tests that simulate the effects of high-velocity hurricanes. The Miami–Dade list is a good place to start when selecting products for a building in a hurricane zone, says Bryan Karsky, AIA, LEED AP, executive vice president of Collman & Karsky Architects in Tampa, Fla. “You’re dealing with assemblies and testing that already give you a baseline for the level of hurricane hardening or wind resistance,” says Karsky. But bear in mind that additional engineering will be needed in areas where wind speeds can reach Category 4 (sustained winds of 131 to 155 mph) or Category 5 (sustained winds greater than 155 mph).

Let’s take a look at four building products that have been recently put to the test and approved for use in hurricane zones.

Wellbilt’s Sure-Board Wall Panel

Bilco’s Type S and Type NB steel and aluminum hatches

Honeywell’s TerraStrong closed-cell spray foam

NOA-approved curtain wall

Related Stories

Architects | Mar 26, 2018

Designing for homeless facilities: Critical spaces to consider

The City of San Diego is home to the fourth largest homeless population in the U.S.

Education Facilities | Mar 23, 2018

An introvert's oasis: How to create learning environments for all student types

In order to understand why a school day can be so grueling for an introverted student, it’s important to know what it means to be introverted, writes NAC Architecture’s Emily Spiller.

Architects | Mar 22, 2018

The benefits and nuances of integrated design

Achieving integrated design usually means operating under a strong relationship. 

Architects | Mar 14, 2018

Becoming nature: The building design evolution meets the living building revolution

With the environmental movement, sustainability became a marker of innovation in design for the built environment.

Office Buildings | Mar 12, 2018

Sound advice on workplace design

Thoughtful design, paired with a change management program to educate staff, can both enhance connectivity and minimize distractions.  

Architects | Mar 9, 2018

Designing healthier buildings: Fitwel certification system

The Fitwel certification system is relatively simple and involves registering a building on a custom scorecard.

Architects | Mar 7, 2018

Balkrishna Doshi named 2018 Pritzker Laureate

Over the course of 70 years, Doshi was instrumental in shaping the discourse of architecture throughout India, from low-cost housing for thousands to landmark projects like the Indian Institute of Management.

Architects | Feb 27, 2018

But first, let me take a selfie: Designing sharable moments

The concept of “selfie walls” has been around for years, but with their growing popularity they have begun to evolve and take on a life of their own.

Market Data | Feb 27, 2018

AIA small firm report: Half of employees have ownership stake in their firm

The American Institute of Architects has released its first-ever Small Firm Compensation Report.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021