Concrete Home Building Council - 09/09/2004 (Plain Text Version)CHBC Chairman View Graphical Version | Subscribe
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Editor... In this issue: Reinforced Concrete Masonry Stands Up to Hurricane CharleyCode Changes Help Reduce Amount of Structural Damage PUNTA GORDA, FL — Winds up to 145 miles per hour left thousands homeless after Hurricane Charley tore through Punta Gorda and surrounding cities in southwest Florida recently. This vicious storm that hit Florida on Aug. 13, claimed 17 lives and has estimated damages in the billions of dollars. In and around Punta Gorda, trailers lay toppled or blown apart entirely and missing ceilings or roofs expose interior walls. Shards of wood and metal lay scattered on lawns. “It’s as close to hell as I can think of,” said Khoum Khampapha, a resident of Port Charlotte, as he looked around the devastation in his neighborhood. As tragic as this loss is, it could have been much worse if it were not for the residential building code changes that were instituted after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Andrew, the most destructive hurricane of record in the United States, blasted its way across South Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, causing 24 deaths and $26.5 billion in damage — mostly due to high winds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The magnitude of damage caused by Hurricane Andrew was unprecedented in the United States. Prior to it, there had been a 25-year lull in significant hurricane activity along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and building codes were not adequate to limit the loss of life and property experienced in Andrew. When Hurricane Andrew struck, there were serious flaws in building codes in hurricane-prone areas. Today, codes have been strengthened and are being enforced more rigorously. Designers are required to provide a continuous load path to ensure structural integrity and provisions for wind borne debris are much more stringent. Residents know this all too well — as with Hurricane Andrew, in the worst part of the recent hurricane, area residents sought refuge and protection within reinforced concrete masonry rooms from high winds and flying debris. “Because of Hurricane Andrew and other storms in this area, the residential building codes have become much more specific in Florida,” said Dennis Graber, PE, a member of the International Code Council Standard for Hurricane Resistant Residential Construction and Director of Technical Publications at the National Concrete Masonry Association, who was on site in Punta Gorda to assess damages. “High wind standards are now much more specific regarding the amount and location of reinforcement to put into a masonry wall and how to provide continuous load path from the roof to the foundation for all building materials. "By conforming to these codes," Graber explained, "houses were better able to withstand the onslaught of Hurricane Charley. A significant example of the code changes is apparent in downtown Punta Gorda. Older structures in the downtown area that were not built according to today’s codes suffered significant damage because the concrete masonry was not reinforced to current construction standards even though the wall sections were substantial.” Graber, who has more than 14 years of experience in high-wind disaster investigations, noted that in the modern, code-compliant structures in the area, concrete masonry withstood the high winds. “In virtually all cases, the modern reinforced concrete masonry structures were able to withstand the wind forces and performed very well in these conditions. “The true test is when a structure is out in the open —unprotected by adjacent structures or trees — we’ve seen numerous reinforced concrete masonry structures in these situations and they performed admirably. Over and over again in talking to people who rode out the storm, we heard comments like ‘Thank goodness we were in a block house, it kept us safe.' ” The National Hurricane Center Web site (www.nhc.noaa.gov) notes that building codes reflect the lessons experts have learned from past catastrophes and suggest that homeowners in hurricane areas contact local building code officials to find out which requirements are necessary for home improvement projects. The Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages construction with strong, impact-resistant materials, such as concrete masonry, within homes and other structures located in hurricane-prone areas. Jim Gulde, president of Masonry Information Technologists, Inc, also on site in Punta Gorda, said, “Residents of South Florida saw again the importance of building with hurricane-resistant construction. Code changes have helped to limit the amount of damage to property and potentially saved lives. The real story is that hurricane-resistant materials like reinforced concrete masonry did great.” For more information or to contact us directly, please visit www.NAHB.org | ©2005, National Association of Home Builders |