{"id":6005,"date":"2020-10-02T16:16:13","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T16:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?p=6005"},"modified":"2020-10-02T16:16:13","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T16:16:13","slug":"storm-shelter-design-critical-for-essential-facilities-and-school-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/storm-shelter-design-critical-for-essential-facilities-and-school-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Storm shelter design critical for essential facilities and school safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Heather Heidenreich and Kelly Altes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

Tornado ratings<\/h3>\n

Tornado intensity is rated by the Enhanced Fujita Scale based on estimated wind speed and related damage. The scale ranges from EF-0 (65-85 MPH with some light damage to roofs and siding) to EF-5 (200+ MPH where well-constructed homes are leveled and swept away). <\/small><\/span><\/p>\n

Two EF-5 tornados set devastating records in recent history. The 2011 Joplin, Mo., tornado became the deadliest tornado since the 1940s, killing 158. The 2013 Moore, Okla., tornado became the costliest, totaling around $2.2 billion in damage.<\/small><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n

Storm shelter design is critical in\u00a0<\/span>the U.S.,\u00a0<\/span>where\u00a0<\/span>an average of\u00a0<\/span>1,253 tornadoes<\/span><\/a>\u00a0occur each year \u2013 most of them in 10 Midwest and\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>outh<\/span>-c<\/span>entral<\/span>\u00a0states. The International Building Code (IBC) provides guidance for creating safe locations for people\u00a0<\/span>who live<\/span>\u00a0in these susceptible areas, specifically\u00a0<\/span>for those spend time\u00a0<\/span>in e<\/span>ssential\u00a0<\/span>and educational facilities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The code requires that storm shelters be designed per ICC-500, with both IBC 2015 and 2018 including more detailed requirements for which conditions necessitate a storm shelter, its occupancy, and location.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The\u00a0<\/span>ICC-500<\/span><\/a>\u00a0establishes \u201cminimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety, and general welfare relative to the design, construction, and installation of storm shelters for protection from high winds associated with tornadoes and hurricanes.\u201d It creates uniformity in the technical design and construction of storm shelters that are either stand<\/span>–<\/span>alone\u00a0<\/span>structures\u00a0<\/span>or safe rooms within buildings.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The three most important factors when designing a storm shelter\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Location.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>As with real estate, location is everything. Know how the location affects functionality and cost of the space.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

System options for MEP and structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Don\u2019t underestimate how system selections will affect the project. Requirements may include redundant systems, protection of critical pieces of equipment, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Envelope breaches.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0It is critical to protect occupants from envelope breaches. Selection of door and window materials, inclusion of shutters or baffling, or addition of protective measures will become an essential step in constructing a storm shelter.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The unpredictability of tornadoes necessitates quick reactions and storm facilities that are always safe and up to code. Following the ICC-500 requirements will ensure that all storm shelters are reliable and uniform, regardless of whether they are stand-alone or part of an e<\/span>ssential\u00a0<\/span>or educational facility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>sign up for our free webinar\u00a0<\/span><\/i>“Storm shelters: Impacts to essential and educational facilities<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Heather Heidenreich and Kelly Altes Tornado ratings Tornado intensity is rated by the Enhanced Fujita Scale based on estimated wind speed and related damage. The scale ranges from EF-0 (65-85 MPH with some light damage to roofs and siding) to EF-5 (200+ MPH where well-constructed homes are leveled and swept away). Two EF-5 tornados<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[223,221,224,220,222,219],"class_list":["post-6005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","tag-education","tag-electrical","tag-government","tag-mechanical","tag-plumbing","tag-structural"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStorm shelter design critical for essential facilities and school safety - IMEG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ICC-500 requirements for storm shelters provide uniformity in the technical design and construction of storm shelters for emergency and educational facilities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/imegcorp.com\/insights\/blog\/storm-shelter-design-critical-for-essential-facilities-and-school-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Storm shelter design critical for essential facilities and school safety - 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