Architect Butch Grimes, who examined the wreckage after a half-mile tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Ala., believes toughening building codes can reduce damage from twisters.
“The damage we had on the edges [of the tornado] could have been avoided with simple construction techniques,” Grimes told Scientific American.
The strongest hurricane winds on the coast can reach 180 mph, while the strongest tornadoes, category EF-5, have wind speeds of 200 to 250 mph. Tornadoes that strong are rare, with more common lower-category EF-2 or EF-3 tornadoes having wind speeds in the 100- to 150-mph range. The lower wind speeds, around hurricane strength, are most common on the edge of tornadoes.
“It’s probably not practical to design for EF-5 damage,” Grimes said. Weaker storms, however, can and should be designed for as coastal areas have been doing for years, he said.
Hurricane clips are one potential quick fix. In Alabama, the clips are required for buildings built within 5 miles of the Gulf of Mexico but remain optional farther inland. Reinforced windows could be another effective measure.
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tornado-survival-could-improve-with-better-building-codes/)
Related Stories
| Nov 16, 2012
Green building councils in 62 countries expect 60% of their work to be green by 2015
More than half of the respondents to a survey of members of the Green Building Council in 62 countries expect green projects to comprise 60% of their work by 2015.
| Nov 16, 2012
Voters approve fewer construction ballot measures in 2012 than in 2008
Voters passed fewer ballot measures related to construction projects this year than they did in 2008, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
| Nov 9, 2012
New ANSI/BIFMA standard adds point for lower formaldehyde emissions
The ANSI/BIFMA e3-2012 Furniture Sustainability Standard now includes an additional point for furniture products that meet a new, lower formaldehyde emissions limit.
| Nov 9, 2012
Higher bar on LEED may not be harder to reach
The U.S. Green Building Council expects to substantially revise LEED next year, requiring builders beginning in 2015 to take new and more-detailed steps to get buildings certified.
| Nov 9, 2012
CSI’s sustainability practice group offers webinar on EPA's WaterSense Program
The Construction Specification Institute’s sustainability practice group is offering a webinar Nov. 20 on EPA’s WaterSense Program, featuring Lynn Gilleland, drinking water specialist with EPA’s New England office.
| Nov 9, 2012
Mayor in Calif. wants to expedite permits for $1B worth of projects
The mayor of San Jose, Calif., plans to issue new construction permits worth an estimated $1 billion in the next six months to spur job creation and create revenue for the city.
| Nov 9, 2012
Jury awards N.Y. roofer $2 million for injuries after construction site fall
A roofing worker from Cortland County, N.Y., has been awarded $2 million in damages due to the injuries he sustained from a 60-foot fall at a dormitory construction site.
| Oct 31, 2012
Investigators look into crane severely damaged by Sandy in Manhattan
Investigators are examining a construction crane collapse atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan due to high winds during Hurricane Sandy.
