Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/281113
Devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters have made it more clear than ever that stronger buildings able to withstand such events are not just advisable but necessary. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nearly 75% of the nation's homes are in disaster prone areas. In 2012, 36.9 million people were seriously threatened by Atlantic hurricanes, compared with 10.2 million people in 1950. Additionally, changes in the climate have increased the risk level and expanded the areas at risk. The earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. Since Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992, causing $16 billion in insured damage, a growing number of regions have adopted strict building codes. State and local governments and code agencies are incorporating "smarter and safer" construction to make homes more resistant to natural hazards, primarily by including measures that increase the structural integrity of a home. Insurers are also pushing to improve the structural quality of homes and prevent or reduce the need for rebuilding. After Katrina, insurance for homeowners in hurricane prone areas rose to almost four times the national average Expanded polystyrene insulation provides a variety of options for disaster resistant housing that not only lend strength and a continuous load path but also deliver an impressive list of attributes – energy efficiency, insect and mold resistance, aesthetics, noise reduction and cost savings to name a few. Homes made with an EPS building system are not just strong; they save up to 50% on energy for heating and cooling. Insulating concrete forms (ICFS), structural insulated panels (SIPs) and concrete structural insulated panels (CSIPs) are three tried and trusted EPS building systems. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) ICFs are a heavyweight building solution – they can easily stand up to hurricane and tornado force winds due to the mass of concrete in the exterior walls. A typical 16"x 48" ICF, when filled with concrete, weighs about 400 pounds, or 75 pounds per square foot of wall, and can withstand winds of up to 250 mph. Concrete walls are also a superior choice for withstanding storm surge; breakwaters and sea walls around the world are made from the material. Concrete walls are also fire resistant. ICF structures have another advantage: they are integrally tied to the footing or foundation slab with structural reinforcing steel. Compared to wood framing, ICF wall- footing connections are stronger by a factor of ten. Likewise, all of the wall components above the footing are connected in a solid monolithic mass, eliminating flex, fatigue and weak points. Photographs taken after Katrina dramatically prove the point that often, a battered ICF home stands relatively intact, even when the neighboring homes have been swept away or reduced to a bare slab. Roof attachments are critical to protect a home in a tornado or hurricane. It does little good to have hurricane-proof walls if the roof is compromised and property gets ruined in torrential rains. Traditional roof trusses fastened into concrete are extremely sturdy. Steel trusses are even better. And ICFs are strong enough to support the most durable choice of a concrete roof system. Structural Insulating Panels (SIPs) SIPs are engineered building panels suitable for walls, roofs and floors in residential and commercial buildings. The most common SIPs use EPS foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB) or steel. Developed in 1935 by the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory, panel technology has evolved into state-of-the-art manufacturing – suppliers can cut SIPs panels with amazing speed and precision. After delivery to the job site, SIPs panels can be assembled in hours or days instead of weeks. Panels are typically 4 feet wide and come in lengths of 8 feet up to 24 feet. Entire walls can be put up immediately, with the openings for the windows and doors already cut. EPS Delivers Energy Efficiency for Disaster Resistant Housing 6 An ICF home under construction survived with almost no damage when an F3 tornado hit a Stoughton, Wisconsin neighborhood in 2005.