HURRICANE RESISTANT

BUILDING

Submitted by :
Gatha bhakta
kruti ghariwala
Alima khoja
Nidhi mehta
shreya mathur
Mansi savani
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 HOW HURRICANE FORMS:

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 Category Wind Speed (m.p.h) Storm force Barometric pressure(inches)
1 74-95 4-5 ft. Above normal Greater than 28.94”
2 96-110 6-8 ft. Above normal ” 28.50 - 28.91”
3 111-130 9-12 ft. Above normal ” 27.91 - 28.47”
4 131-155 13-18 ft. Above normal ” 27.17 - 27.88”
5 Greater than 155 Greater than 18 ft Less than 27.17”

HOW DO THEY AFFECT/DESTROY BUILDINGS?

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 GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
Storm surge considerations:
• Waves along coastal areas can destroy many buildings.
• Buildings should preferably be built on high ground in order to avoid
waves.
• If waves can reach the building site, the building ought to be elevated on
steel, concrete, or wooden pilings or anchored to solid rock.

Wind loading considerations:

1. The foundation :
• To minimize this vulnerability, the upper structure ought to be anchored through the walls to the foundation.
• Several methods can be used to anchor the roof.
• Typically, roof trusses are "toenailed" into the top of the walls, which provide insufficient force to resist
high winds.
• Hurricane ties nail into the wall and wrap over the trusses to provide higher force resistance.

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 GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
2. Mobile home tie down to the foundation :
• Interlocking metal pan roof systems installed on
mobile homes can fail under the pressure differential
(lift) created by the high velocity winds passing over
the surface plane of the roof.
• This is compounded by the wind entering the building
allowing the building interior to pressurize lifting the
underside of the roof panels, resulting in destruction of
the building.

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 GENERAL
3.CONSIDERATIONS:
Earth-sheltering :
• Earth-sheltered construction is generally more resistant to strong winds and tornadoes than standard
construction.
• Cellars and other earth sheltered components of other buildings, can provide safe refuge during tornadoes.

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4. Dome homes :

The dome shape is very efficient at shedding elements

such as wind and snow. In fact, there is some evidence
that these structures can even withstand hurricane-force
wind. Geodesic domes are particularly resistant to this
type of force because they have fewer flat surfaces,
allowing the wind to move around the home.
 • The physical geometry of a building affects its aerodynamic properties and how well it can withstand a
storm.
• Geodesic dome roofs or buildings have low drag coefficients and can withstand higher wind forces than a
square building of the same area.
• Even stronger buildings result from monolithic dome construction.

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 5. Round house:
• A round, or multiple-sided home, is
more resistant to hurricane strength
winds.
• The round design allows the wind to
blow around the home, reducing the
build up of pressure on one side.
• Additionally, with the roof and floors
built using a radial truss array, that
allows any potential energy from
sustained winds to disperse across the
entire structure instead of building up in
one area.

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 STRATEGIES

• Probably the strongest form of structure is a monolithic thin shelled concrete dome.

• It is an economic way of producing curved shapes with significant structural integrity.

• A force 5 hurricane of 150 mph will exert 100 lbs. per square inch on a 10 m high dome structure which
would hardly be felt inside.

• It is also suitable protection against tornadoes which are stronger than hurricanes and earthquakes.

• Germany used this design for bomb proof purposes in the Second World War. Any puncture caused by
flying debris can easily be repaired.

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• Proper construction for hurricane resistant building

depends on connections between foundation, wall, and
roof, connections between walls, particularly at corners,
and connections amongst all the components that make
up a wall and roof.
• Proper construction can insure against some types of
structural damage, while poor construction can
dramatically exacerbate problems.
• The characteristics of fasteners, whether they are nails,
screws, straps, strong ties, or adhesives; their size,
width, length or diameter, their spacing, their material
composition, whether cement coated, galvanized, or hot
dipped, affect the structural integrity.
• The crucial issue is that the building should act unified
and interconnected. How the foundation sets in the
ground can affect the stability of the roof as well as how
well the roof connects with walls affects the stability of
the walls.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• There are two areas of consideration for

• hurricane loads: near the coast where storm surge is
critical, and everywhere else, where wind loads are
typically the primary concerns.
• Some salient design concerns are the shape of the
building, the building’s relationship with the ground, and
the size, extent, and slope of the roof.
• Keeping house volume small and construction standards
high are the most effective means to insure hurricane
resistance. A building
• square in plan is potentially more hurricane resistant than
other typical shapes because it keeps to a minimum the
area impacted by high lateral winds and uplift load;
however, purpose and quality of construction are also
influential.
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

• If a square shape does not accommodate the functions of the buildings, then a rectangular building
shape should be used.
• And, if the rectangular shape does not suffice, then consider more complicated configurations, such
as an “L.” It should be noted that a poorly constructed square-shaped house is not necessarily more
resilient than a well constructed, larger volume rectangular house.
• Compared to a slab-on-grade foundation, the conventional floor system is potentially more
hurricane resistant.
• Although raising the house above ground several feet or so will provide little benefit if the structure
is exposed to extreme surge loads. Waves were over 30 feet high in some coastal areas during
Hurricane Katrina.
• A raised floor may help avoid damage from minor surges and may also reduce flooding. Like the
shape of buildings, the design of the roof is not a simple matter.
• Buildings in hot-humid climates, like those along the Gulf Coast, require extensive roof over hangs
both to shade the walls and divert water away from the walls and foundation, which protects the
house from potential water damage.
 ROOF DESIGN CONSIDERATION

• Roof design should be such that the roof structure is anchored back to

the foundations either:
• By straps or bolted rods.
• Or via the wall construction if it is tensioned with steel or cable reinforcement.
• Roof sheathing should be fixed with special hurricane
resistant nails and cedar tiles glued to surfaces as proscribed in local codes in
hurricane zones.
• Roof overhanging eaves should be minimal and special attention afforded to the
intrusion of driving horizontal rain that can penetrate attics causing ceiling to
collapse.
• Roofs can be shaped and designed to produce improved aerodynamics and
susceptibility to wind damage. For instance, a curved dome design and an absence
of valley gutters lowers risk of wind damage or water ingress. Corrugated surfaces
also offer more wind resistance by spreading surface area and dissipating impact.
 EXTERNAL OPENINGS

• Windows, doors, roof lights and garage shutters are all vulnerable weak points against

hurricane forces. Broken glass can cause injury and once penetrated wind forces provide
different pressures inside a property to the outside.
• Subsequently, damage and possibly collapse is inevitable. A whole industry has emerged in the
USA and Hong Kong specialising in hurricane protective products not least:
• Steel, aluminium or polypropolyne hurricane proof shutters. These can be:
• Permanent and hinged fitting within and flush with an opening.
• Slatted roller shutters manually operated in case of power failure and securely fixed in deep
channel tracks.
• Temporary bolted panels stored when not in use. Again, corrugation to exposed surface reduces
impact.
• Glazing should be thicker than normal and be internally lined with shatter proof film.
• Window fixings and waterproofing should be of the highest integrity.
• Garage up and over doors in the case of an impending storm should be reinforced externally with
a strong woven fabric screen.
 BASIC STANDARDS AND QUALITY CONTROL TIPS: 

The following areas will be given attention in this document since they are the areas
which cause the most concern during a storm or hurricane.
They are:

• Location
• Shape of houses
• Foundations
• Framing
• Roofs
• Porches
• Shutters

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 LOCATION :
• Avoid building on steep hill sides where
there is very little shelter from high wind,
especially on slopes facing the sea.
(Building on steep hill sides should be
avoided all together)
• But if it cannot be avoided the hill side
should be cut as shown in Fig. It is more
suitable to build in areas which provide
natural shelter from high winds.

FOUNDATIONS :
• A safer practice is, the construction of a reinforced
concrete block walls, with 1/2" mild steel bars. (the
use of mild steel is encouraged since it is easier to
bend compared to high tensile steel.)
• These bars must be continuous and project beyond
the foundation by at least 12" to 14". (300mm to
350mm) to facilitate the securing of the structure to
the foundation.

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 FRAMING :

• The cladding must be strong. It is common

practice to use very large spacings for studs (4'-0"
centers without noggins). This practice should be
discouraged.
• The 4'-0" spacing is very convenient since the ply
wood can be butt jointed and easily nailed.
However, this does not provide adequate
resistance to withstand the lateral forces of
hurricane strength high winds.
• It is more suitable to locate studs at 2'-0" centers
with mid way noggins. Also it is necessary to
double the studs around openings (doors, and
windows) as openings in a wooden structure tend
to weaken it.
• Metal straps ('T's and 'L's) plus corner braces
must be used to secure studs to top and bottom
plates and at the corners of the structure.

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 ROOFS:

• Roofs are the most vulnerable part of a building during a

hurricane. Therefore, it must be strong and resistant to high
winds. If the hip roof can be afforded, it should be given
priority over the other types.
• The gable roof is the one most frequently used but one must
ensure that the members are strong. (2x4s rough should be
used). Hurricane clamps should be used to secure the rafters
and laths to counter the effects of high winds.
• The connection of the roof covering must be given serious
attention. In St. Lucia the corrugated galvanized sheet is the
most commonly used roof covering, therefore it is important
to nail them carefully.
• If one of the sheets is separated, it could form a chain
reaction pulling the others with it, leaving the exterior of the
house exposed, thus risking the safety of the occupants and
causing damage to personal property.

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 PORCHES:

• Half porches should be avoided, because wind trapped underneath an open or half porch will increase high up
lift forces on the roof which may be sufficient to cause failure of the roof structure. If a house has a half
porch, a strengthened ceiling should be provided.
• The roof of a full porch should be separated from the rest of the house so that during a hurricane failure of the
exposed porch roof will not endanger the main structure. 

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 A. Shape :
Aerodynamic circular building envelope
works with nature, not against it.
1. Wind can’t build up enough pressure on any
side to cause a structural failure.
2. Reinforced clear span roof is at optimum pitch
(6/12) for wind deflection and reduced lift.
3. Circular structures environmental loads most
efficiently , with a high degree of redundancy
providing extra resilience and performance
during critical events.
B. Engineering :
Creating a building envelope to resist high wind
and provide safety to its occupants.
4. Radial truss array in roof and floors work like
spokes on a wheel.
5. Potential energy from sustained winds is
dispersed throughout the structure instead of
building up in a single area.

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 C. Material Excellence :
Merging superior materials with a superior design results
in a stronger and more durable structure.
6. Machine rated 2400 psi framing lumber used in trusses and
walls is twice as strong as typical framing material.
7. Five Ply 5/8” plywood sheathing used instead of OSB on
exterior walls , roof and floors strengthens the home and
prevents flying debris from penetrating the structural
envelope of the home.
8. Reinforced windows with impact glass prevent wind and
water from entering the home.

D. Connections:
Emphasis on maintaining continuous load paths and strong
connections between the roof ,exterior walls ,floor systems
and foundation.
9. Oversized truss hangers keep roof system anchored to
walls.
10. Walls have multiple construction ties to the floor system
for structural stability and to transfer shear forces.
11. Continuous metal strapping from roof trusses to
foundation helps maintain structural stability.

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 E. Sustainability :
Utilizing products and construction techniques that
enhance livability in the event of a prolonged power
outage.
12. Solar water heater provides uninterrupted hot water.
13. Enhanced insulation maintains a more balanced
temperature inside the home.
14. High wind rated reflective metal roofs helps reduce
radiant heat gain in the home.
15. Passive solar design helps heat and cool the building
through appropriate shading and window placement.

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 THANK YOU

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