Concrete is resistant to wind, hurricanes, floods, and fire.

Concrete, as a structural material

and as the building exterior skin, has the ability to withstand natures normal deteriorating
mechanisms as well as natural disasters. Properly designed, reinforced concrete is resistant
to earthquakes and provides blast protection for occupants. Concrete safe rooms help
provide protection from earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, and other disasters.

Fire Resistance

Concrete offers noncombustible construction that helps contain a fire

within boundaries.

Image After a fire,

concrete and
As a separation wall, concrete helps to prevent a fire from masonry may be all
spreading throughout a building. that remains. (PCA)

As an exterior wall or roof, concrete helps to prevent a fire from jumping from
building to building.

During wild fires, concrete walls and roofs help provide protection to human life and
the occupants possessions within a building.

Concrete helps contain a fire even if no water supply is available, whereas sprinklers
rely on a water source.

Concrete that endures a fire can often be reused when the building is rebuilt.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E119, Standard Test Methods for
Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, describes test
procedures for determining fire endurance of building materials. In fire
endurance tests, concrete generally fails by heat transmission long
before structural failure, whereas other construction materials fail by
heat transmission when collapse is imminent. A 2-hr fire endurance for
a concrete wall will most likely mean the wall gets hot (experiences an
average temperature rise of 250 F for all points or 325 F at any one
point.) The fire endurance of concrete can be determined by its
Stucco is fire-
thickness and type of aggregate using ACI procedures.
resistant, which is
one of the main
reasons this home
was the only house
left standing on this
California hillside
after the wild fire.
(PCA No. 13560)
Concrete has also performed well during the Urban-Wildland Interface fires that have
destroyed billions of dollars of property in Southern California and other parts of the western
U.S. Hilly terrain, hot dry winds, combustible vegetation, and closely spaced dwellings
create favorable conditions for these types of fire. This trend is expected to continue as
populations continue to expand into wildland areas. Data collected after these fires shows a
correlation between fire damage and the exterior surfaces of buildings, including:

Concrete or clay tile roofs performed much better than wood shake or shingle roofs.

Buildings having noncombustible exterior wall surfaces, such as masonry or stucco,

achieved a higher level of survival.

Double-pane windows are needed to minimize heat transfer to

the building interior.

Minimal roof projections or the use of non-combustible materials

to protect combustible eaves and projections plus the elimination of
soffit vents will also increase a structure's chances of surviving a
wildland fire.
The Sundbergs'
Tornado, Hurricane, and Wind Resistance home, in the Pass
Concrete is resistant to tornadoes, hurricanes, and wind. Following Christian, MS,
Hurricane Katrina, a concrete house was the sole house left standing in a area affected by
Pass Christian, MS, neighborhood. Hurricane
Investigators have learned from previous hurricanes that: Katrina, is shown
in the yellow
circle and is a
prime example of
Asphalt shingles often failed due to holes created by staple guns. the durability of
Nails held better than staples if they were properly placed. concrete homes.
(PCA photo from
Clay roof tiles resisted wind forces better than asphalt shingles FEMA)
but were apt to shatter if hit by flying debris.

Concrete roof tiles suffered similar damage as clay roof tiles from debris, but were
more resistant to shattering than clay tiles.

Asphalt gravel roofs, if not well maintained, were flaked off in layers by the wind,
exposing sub-layers.

Plywood sheathing failures were due to inadequate nailing.

Particle board does not provide a good base for the attachment of surface roofing
materials.

Gables were more prone to failure than hip roofs. Gables constructed of concrete
masonry faired much better than frame construction. Inadequate attachment to walls
 and inadequate lateral support caused many failures of gables, particularly wood frame
gables.

Concrete block walls performed well. Concrete masonry construction was more
forgiving of poor craftsmanship than wood frame construction. Compliance with the
SSTD 10-93, Standard for Hurricane Resistant Residential Construction or the provisions
of ACI 530/ASCE 5/TMS402-95 would have probably reduced the amount of damage
observed in these structures.

Masonry veneer also performed well when properly constructed and connected to the
structure. Damaged veneers were invariably a result of corroded, inadequate, or
improperly embedded ties. Masonry veneer structures subjected to storm surges were
able in many cases to withstand the storm surge better than wood frame houses without
veneer.

Wood frame walls performed poorly unless well designed and constructed.

Loads on building components and connections are significantly increased when the
envelope is breached by high wind or flying debris. Masonry systems appeared to resist
breaching as well, if not better, than other wall systems.

Windows and doors need to be carefully installed.

Windows must be protected with hurricane shutters.

Debris driven by high winds presents the greatest hazard to

homeowners and their homes during hurricanes and tornados.
Tests show that concrete wall systems suffer no structural
damage when impacted by debris carried by hurricane and
tornado-force winds. This wood 2x4 impaled a
wood frame home due to
As another example, in 1967, a series of deadly tornadoes hit a tornado spawned by
northern Illinois, killing 57 people and destroying 484 homes. Hurricane Katrina)
Damages at the time were estimated at $50 million. Two
prestressed concrete structures, a grocery store and a high school, were in the direct path
of two tornadoes that struck almost simultaneously. Repairs to the structural system of the
grocery store were less than $200. In the high school, structural damage was also limited.

Flood Resistance
Concrete is not damaged by water; concrete that does not dry out continues to gain
strength in the presence of moisture. Concrete submerged in water absorbs very small
amounts of water over long periods of time, and the concrete is not damaged. In flood-
damaged areas, concrete buildings are often salvageable. Concrete dams and levees are
used for long-lasting flood control.

In the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, architects and engineers are
looking at structures that will keep water out and not shift or float away when submersed in
floodwaters. One solution is reinforced concrete walls to the roof height with a 12-in. thick
concrete slab. In one example, the slab will be kept in place with 8-in. helical anchors drilled
10 to 13 feet into the ground (Architect Hank Browne and engineers DMK Group, April 2006
Building Design and Construction).

Concrete will only contribute to moisture problems in buildings if it is enclosed in a system

that traps moisture between the concrete and other building materials. For instance, a vinyl
wall covering in hot and humid climates will act as a vapor retarder and moisture can get
trapped between the concrete and the wall covering. For this reason, impermeable wall
coverings (such as vinyl wallpaper) should not be used on concrete walls.

High Humidity and Wind-Driven Rain

Concrete is not affected by wind-driven rain and moist outdoor air in hot and humid climates
because it is impermeable to air infiltration and wind-driven rain. Moisture that enters a
building must come through joints between concrete elements. Annual inspection and repair
of joints will minimize this potential. More importantly, if moisture does enter through joints,
it will not damage the concrete. Good practice for all types of wall construction is to have
permeable materials that breathe (are allowed to dry) on at least one surface and to not
encapsulate concrete between two impermeable surfaces. Concrete will dry out if not
covered by impermeable treatments.

Fortifiedfor safer living

The Fortifiedfor safer living program an initiative of the Institute
for Business & Home Safety, provides design, construction, and
landscaping guidelines to increase a new home's resistance to natural
disaster. Fortified techniques and construction materials raise a
homes overall disaster-resistance above the minimum requirement of
local building codes. Extra attention is given to areas especially
vulnerable to harsh elements, including doors Extreme weather
and windows, roof construction and the events
foundation. (http://www.ibhs.or
g/)
Homes are exposed to one or more extreme
weather events, such as high wind, wildfire, flood, hail and
earthquake.
A Fortified home under construction in Illinois Precast concrete will have added
protection against tornadoes, hail and severe Fortified home winter weather
three of the states most destructive natural under construction elements. Fortified
construction features in this home will include: in Illinois (PCA
website, DuKane
Precast)

Connections that securely tie the house together from roof to foundation, protecting
the structure from winds with speeds up to 130 mph

Impact-resistant roof materials that better withstand high winds and are fire
resistant.

Windows and doors with higher wind and water design pressure ratings and a garage
door capable of withstanding impact from large objects.

Construction materials and siting work that eliminate the threat of flood or wildfire.

Blast resistance
Concrete has demonstrated blast resistance through tests. The
Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA) and the Northern
Virginia Concrete Advisory Council successfully demonstrated the
blast-resistant properties of ICF building systems during the Force
Protection Equipment Demonstration (FPED V) April 2628, 2005,
at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Northern Virginia. During the
blast demonstrations, eleven separate ICF reaction boxes,
weighing 13 tons apiece and with walls measuring 8 feet tall and 6
inches thick were subjected to explosion from 50 lbs of TNT at
ICF reaction boxes prior
differing distances (3.5 feet to 10 feet) and to pressures from 300
to blast test
pounds per square inch (psi) to over 7,000 psi. Known for decades
for its impact resistant properties, expanded
polystyrene (psi), the primary material in ICFs, has recently shown
great potential as a blast-resistant product. In each instance during
six different blast demonstrations, EPS compressed against
An ICF wall the
after a
face of the concrete wall and reduced the pressure of TNT
50 lb. the blast.
detonation from 10
In addition, high performance concrete can be designed to have
feet away.
improved blast resistant properties. These concretes often have a
compressive strength exceeding 14,500 psi and contain steel fibers.
These blast-resistant structures are often used in bank vaults and
military applications.

Building Protection
Ubiquitous precast concrete planters provide protection to
federal buildings, museums, and national landmarks. These
Concrete planters in
barriers are attractive yet are a deterrent to wayward vehicles.
Washington DC
Attractive concrete barriers that also provide seating are
(National Precast
becoming commonplace.
Concrete
Association)