Facing a hurricane head-on

Hurricane Bertha

A big one was named Katrina. They also have names like Fay, Gustav and Hanna.

Hurricane season makes the news each and every year. And each year, American ingenuity tries to find ways to protect people and their homes from the devastation they cause.Wood framed construction, as is commonly employed in new home construction, generally cannot withstand the power and sheer intensity of the blows that can be landed by a freak tornado or angry hurricane.

So what can be done to rebuild areas where rampant weather damage has taken its toll and to prepare them for any sequels Mother nature has in store? The answer may be insulated concrete forms.One of the largest manufacturers of ICFs is Canada-based ARXX Wallsystems. ARXX is a structural expanded polystyrene building form made for cast-in-place concrete walls that remains in place as an integral part of the building after the concrete has been poured. These forms provide insulation, air and vapor barriers, as well as the strapping surface for interior and exterior finishes and resemble "Lego" building blocks.

Systems such as this can be utilized for severely weather-prone areas when these forms are then reinforced with rebar, making them virtually "bulletproof" to the elements. Entire office buildings and homes can become tornado and hurricane resistant using this method of construction; those wishing to retro-fit older structures can use the system for "safe" rooms within the building as well.The Portland Cement Association of Skokie, Illinois provides a DVD demonstrating tests performed on conventionally built steel and wood framed houses, and then the same tests repeated with structures constructed of ICFs. In its remarkable footage, the DVD shows wall panels subjected to the impact of a 15-pound wood stud "missile" traveling at 109 miles per hour. The frame walls, some even faced with brick, failed to stop the airborne hazards, but the concrete walls successfully resisted the impact.

Bona fide “hurricane houses” have been constructed in Florida to demonstrate the strength of ICF construction. Its walls were built to resist winds up to 150 miles per hour. Hurricane houses are actually teaching centers showcasing building materials and techniques that should help keep a house together when a hurricane hits. They were developed as part of the Residential Construction Mitigation Program, originally initiated by the Florida Department of Insurance to help state and local governments teach hurricane-resistant methods of construction. They also illustrate other helpful building products as well, such as impact resistant shutters, laminated glass, and high-impact garage doors and roofing materials, in addition to demonstrating cutaway sections of walls and ceilings.

What else is so great about ICFs? Not one tree is destroyed in their production making it a prime building material choice in a world that continues to destroy an expanse of forest the size of Nepal every year. The product contains no chlorine and uses pentane, a simple hydrocarbon, as its blowing agent, virtually eliminating damage to the ozone layer. The wall system is designed to last as long as the building is occupied, which is geared to a 50-year period, but can be longer than a century.