Built in 1996: Can My House Survive a Category 4 Hurricane?

[Dionne]

I have never seen one but sure would like to. Is the electrical coduit, gang boxes, ect all visible, or do they make allowences of sorts when they form up the walls. Plumbing as well, what about supply lines and drain pipes for kitchen and vanity sinks. Seems like it would be a nightmare if all was incased in poured concrete, if a repair needed done. Also, if the verticle bar should somehow shift to the inside of the form, moisture will eventually takes it's toll on it, and will rust and the wall will pop.

Mechanical chases are built into the walls as they are poured.....conduit, plumbing.....everything. Your right about the rebar shifting during the pour.....I believe this is what caused the parking garage at The Grand in Gulfport to fail during Katrina.

Vertical rebar should be encased with horizontal rings of rebar when tying off the steel. Plus it helps if the man running the vibrator during the pour has alot of experience.

[TheShrimper]

Right, you do not want all of the aggregate to end up just above the slab. How thick are the walls poured, a full 8 inches?

[TampaSteve]

Don't see to many houses with pre cast roofs. I am sure there are a few, but not as many as in the Keys.

The structure is reinforced concrete from the slab to the top beams that support the roof (I think they're called bond beams). The roof trusses are tied to that. It's a VERY strong setup. There are plenty of houses like that in Punta Gorda Isles. After Charley, there were a lot of roofs with missing barrel tiles, but NONE of the concrete houses in my in-laws' neighborhood failed. The older frame houses and the mobile home park down the road (Windmill Village) weren't so lucky.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

I'll just hope that a storm of that
magnitude doesn't ever hit me....

[Dionne]

Don't see to many houses with pre cast roofs. I am sure there are a few, but not as many as in the Keys.

The structure is reinforced concrete from the slab to the top beams that support the roof (I think they're called bond beams). The roof trusses are tied to that. It's a VERY strong setup. There are plenty of houses like that in Punta Gorda Isles. After Charley, there were a lot of roofs with missing barrel tiles, but NONE of the concrete houses in my in-laws' neighborhood failed. The older frame houses and the mobile home park down the road (Windmill Village) weren't so lucky.

After Andrew the building codes were changed in south Florida. The bond beam (correct terminology) now has hurricane straps built into the perimeter, tied to rebar and then poured. The straps wrap over the top cord of engineered trusses. Previously there were only the Simpson H25 hurricane clips in this detail. In order for these hurricane straps to fail the entire structure would have to fail.....as in wall collapse. The building inspectors are real serious down there. They inspect prior to the pour. Then after the pour when the trusses are set...the inspectors return to check nailing patterns on the sheathing.

We have been rebuilding in south Mississippi since Katrina. I have yet to see the first building code inspector.

[TampaSteve]

Don't see to many houses with pre cast roofs. I am sure there are a few, but not as many as in the Keys.

The structure is reinforced concrete from the slab to the top beams that support the roof (I think they're called bond beams). The roof trusses are tied to that. It's a VERY strong setup. There are plenty of houses like that in Punta Gorda Isles. After Charley, there were a lot of roofs with missing barrel tiles, but NONE of the concrete houses in my in-laws' neighborhood failed. The older frame houses and the mobile home park down the road (Windmill Village) weren't so lucky.

After Andrew the building codes were changed in south Florida. The bond beam (correct terminology) now has hurricane straps built into the perimeter, tied to rebar and then poured. The straps wrap over the top cord of engineered trusses. Previously there were only the Simpson H25 hurricane clips in this detail. In order for these hurricane straps to fail the entire structure would have to fail.....as in wall collapse. The building inspectors are real serious down there. They inspect prior to the pour. Then after the pour when the trusses are set...the inspectors return to check nailing patterns on the sheathing.

We have been rebuilding in south Mississippi since Katrina. I have yet to see the first building code inspector.

Thanks for the info. They made the codes even stronger in 2002, IIRC. As a matter of fact, I did see one house under construction last Thanksgiving across the street from my in-laws' house, and the roof hadn't been put on yet. I saw what must have been about a hundred metal straps sticking up from the top of the walls, all the way around the perimeter of the house. They build 'em good and solid down here in Florida, that's for sure...they need to!