As June arrives, weathermen across the nation are making
predictions about the upcoming hurricane season. Regardless of their forecast,
for those living in hurricane prone areas even a “quiet” season prediction doesn’t
quite ease their minds, they’ve learned from experience that it only takes one
hurricane to do millions of dollars in damage (ie: think Katrina, Andrew or
Sandy). What can ease their concerns
is the knowledge that their home or business has been tested or designed for
these powerful weather events. While no one fortification can completely ensure
a structure will withstand all wind or windborne debris, testing and design can
aid in the building’s survival.
Miami-Dade County has received its share of hurricanes, but
Hurricane Andrew devastated the area.
Immediately following Andrew, Florida began to implement building code
changes. Today, Miami-Dade County is a
shining example of research and testing that has resulted in some of the most
advanced requirements in hurricane protection. The “High Velocity Hurricane
Zones” section of the Florida Building Code contains some of the most stringent
home defensive measures in the United States today. In fact, the basis for the
2015 IBC Section 1609 that addresses wind load issues for construction is based
on the south Florida regulations.
New homes constructed in the hurricane prone areas of
Miami-Dade and other south Florida counties are required to meet certain
requirements for wind and windborne debris. Building products are certified
against these requirements by Miami-Dade County, and the testing must be performed
by a Miami-Dade County certified laboratory. ASTM E1886 and ASTM E1996 are the
standards that building envelope elements are tested against. For hurricane
resistance, these standards describe in detail how to perform wind load and
windborne debris testing.
Depending on the product being evaluated, tests other than
ASTM E1886 and ASTM E1996 could be required. Individual building products such
as adhesives, tile systems, roof membranes and more are also required to
undergo a series of rigorous testing. A series of documents, Testing Application Standards (TAS),
describes how this testing is to be performed on various building products. Miami-Dade
has made their database of product approval checklists (http://www.miamidade.gov/building/control-forms.asp)
and approved products (Miami-Dade
Product Control Search) available on their website.
Existing homes also have options available to them that
allow them to take advantage of the protection that modern building science
offers. Florida has published the Hurricane Retrofit Guide to
help homeowners determine how to increase the structural integrity of their
homes. Home improvement projects on
existing homes are often chosen based on cost to the homeowner, so the
Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) has created a Homeowners
Guide to Hurricane Retrofit that lists retrofitting projects by cost categories, from
least expensive to the most costly.
If your building product is likely to be used in a hurricane
zone, for either new construction or as part of a retrofitting project, you
need a Miami-Dade Approved Laboratory. NTA is Miami-Dade Certified and currently
performs many of the strict tests they require for many types of building
products:
- Miami-Dade impact and wind testing
- Hurricane testing on doors, curtain walls, windows and shutters
- Large missile impact
- Uniform load
- Air infiltration
- Water infiltration
- Cyclic wind pressure
For
more information on our Hurricane/Miami-Dade Approved Testing Services, feel
free to contact NTA.
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