With all the extreme climatic weather across our country's mid-section, we must start to consider better building practices. Especially in areas where the weather is as dangerous as we have seen lately in Mississippi and Alabama. The lost of life is tragic and most unfortunate.
Building with Insulated Concrete Forms in no way guarantees that every life will be saved. We can’t know what nature can whip up to keep us humble. However the chances are greater for survival and reduction of property loss if we build with materials that can stand against such forces.
We are starting to collect more and more information on the durability of ICF structures every season as we see them survive numerous conditions. We see examples of homes left standing after a tornado….. "We lost the roof of the garage and screened-in porch, and all the windows were broken, but the rest of the house [was] fine," says homebuilder Randy Settersten.
The Sundberg's home construction was 85% complete, when hurricane Katrina slammed into the area on August 29 with a huge storm surge and reported sustained winds from 125mph. The water reached an elevation of 28 feet.
ICF Home in Stoughton, WI is the one that survived the F3 tornado that leveled its wood frame neighbors.
This development in CA was ravaged by a ground fire. Only the ICF homes survived.
You can surf the Internet and find many examples of these structures surviving conditions their close neighbors did not. It's a growing testament to this kind of construction and how sustainable they can be.
Below is a site that shows the strength of ICF walls compared to traditional construction. This will open your eyes, you must see this. Really….you need to see these videos!!!!!
http://www.carrollsbuildingmaterials.com/pages/university.html
Feel free to contact me if you have any queries on ICF and their design or use.
Ray Evans
iDesign, Inc.
700 East Union Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
904-665-0080
0 Comments
Post a Comment