Wood framed appartment, would it withstand???

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Noah
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Wood framed appartment, would it withstand???

#1 Postby Noah » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:44 pm

I live in sarasota in a wood framed appartment..ikes..soon to buy a concrete block home soon.... will a wood frame apartment withstand a strong tropical storm, let alone a hurricane??? :eek:
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Jim Cantore

#2 Postby Jim Cantore » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:53 pm

I'm no expert But I would think a major Hurricane is flattening that building.
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#3 Postby Audrey2Katrina » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:02 pm

For whatever it's worth, if you're NOT in a flood zone, the answer is YES, I've lived in a wood-frame house through several hurricanes and it's still standing. Granted, they weren't 4 or 5 majors, but definitely hurricanes, so I'm certain they'd withstand a tropical storm unless it's really shabbily constructed.

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#4 Postby MiamiensisWx » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:03 pm

Did you go through sustained hurricane-force winds, Audrey2Katrina? Just curious. Hope I'm not insulting...
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#5 Postby terstorm1012 » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:50 pm

What kind of wood is it?

Florida pine is super strong---but even it has limits.
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#6 Postby Audrey2Katrina » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:11 pm

CapeVerdeWave wrote:Did you go through sustained hurricane-force winds, Audrey2Katrina? Just curious. Hope I'm not insulting...


No insult taken, and yes, they were definitely sustained force hurricane winds. The house was built here before the turn of the century (Late 1800's according to the actual blue-prints I still possess), so it's been through many hits and brushes, but there's no doubt it received sustained hurricane winds--1915 probable, 1947--no doubt whatsoever, and same for Betsy in 1965 (can still feel the scary roar of those winds outside, the trees blowing over and yes, the house shook), and, of course, Katrina---Lots of TS from weak to strong in all that time as well, and it's still standing, as are all but one of the many other wood-frame shotguns on the same block.

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#7 Postby Audrey2Katrina » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:17 pm

terstorm1012 wrote:What kind of wood is it?

Florida pine is super strong---but even it has limits.


THAT, I don't know... lol, built a little before my time, but it is a sturdy li'l sucker! I do think had the flooding been worse on Dauphine St., it might have been totalled this time around; but the waters there "only" reached about four feet, and it wasn't that wall of water coming right over the levee that the less fortunates in the Ninth received.

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#8 Postby LSU_Weatherguy » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:25 pm

I would say you should have no problem, in my opion, but I have not seen your plans. With Katrina a saw in two cases where a concrete house was leveled to the ground and a wood frame house next door was in bad shape but still standing. What you house is made out of does make a difference but how your house is made (workmanship) make the big difference.
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#9 Postby terstorm1012 » Mon Apr 17, 2006 2:37 pm

I'm thinking wood frames can flex and bend in the wind, where Concrete doesn't. Good and bad for both if ya think about it. :)

I personally love those old woodframe houses...but the city I live in the older homes are primarily brick.
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#10 Postby Extremeweatherguy » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:10 pm

I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^
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#11 Postby LSU_Weatherguy » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:31 pm

Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^


If you look at the picture you also notice that houses that are still in good relative good shape are standing next to houses that are piles of sticks and also to houses where it looks like just top floor is damaged. I am in civil engineering at LSU and like going out to the gulf coast and looking at the types of failures that houses have had and finding ways to prevent them
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#12 Postby Audrey2Katrina » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:30 pm

LSU_Weatherguy wrote:
Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^


If you look at the picture you also notice that houses that are still in good relative good shape are standing next to houses that are piles of sticks and also to houses where it looks like just top floor is damaged. I am in civil engineering at LSU and like going out to the gulf coast and looking at the types of failures that houses have had and finding ways to prevent them

Exactly my point, and I have no doubt that the house I'd lived in saw true cat 3 winds in its lifetime. MOST of those houses received some damage, but almost all of them are still there--doubtless having been repaired many times--but the quality of workmanship and structural integrity had to be pretty good. Aside from all that, the question was relevant to whether or not a woodframe house could withstand TS winds, and I'd have to say that unless it's very shoddily put together, it will almost certainly do just fine. Were a major heading that way that could still be a major there--I'd split the scene, if for no better reason than why tempt the odds?

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#13 Postby Stratosphere747 » Mon Apr 17, 2006 4:41 pm

On the Andrew image, notice that those facing the wind without any protection from another structure had the most damage, while the others with the lesser amount of damage were buffered somewhat.
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#14 Postby yzerfan » Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:07 pm

Our wood frame-brick veneer home has survived strong tropical force and minimal hurricane winds on muitiple occasions. (Opal, Ivan, Dennis...) As long as the building was constructed properly, and has a newer roof built or rebuilt in a way that's acceptable to current code, and that the landsacping around it is well-maintained, (ie no trees likely to come down on top of it) then that type of structure should handle 80-90mph winds acceptably.

Heck, most of my built in the 1980s (pre-Andrew code) neighborhood comes through those kinds of winds with the only wind damage being occasional minor to moderate roof leaks. The worst damage comes from landscaping issues- people still haven't pulled out all of the turpentine plantation era sandy pines that need to be taken down, and TS force winds will sometimes bring them down onto a structure.
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#15 Postby terstorm1012 » Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:09 pm

That was what one relative , in the West Kendall area reported from Andrew. there was some sort of eddy that protected their condo building, while homes two to three blocks east were flattened. at the time there wasn't anything west of them except sawgrass.

that image looks like it might be Kendall or Naranja Lakes, neither of which are on the immediate coast.
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#16 Postby ROCK » Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:10 pm

Extremeweatherguy wrote:I would have to say that it would be a gamble to say it will or will not survive. There are too many variables that would need to be looked at. Overall though, I would say it has a high chance of surviving TRUE minimal hurricane force winds, an "ok" chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 3 force winds, and a low chance of surviving TRUE Cat. 4/5 force winds.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew2.gif
^^Here is an idea of the damage a TRUE Cat. 4 force wind would do to wooden framed homes. This is from Hurricane Andrew in 1992...but I am not calling this Cat. 5 force, because most of the Cat. 5 level winds were in a small portion of the storm and either right at the coast or in extremely small pockets right near the coast. This picture looks to be a few miles inland.^^



I agree. A lot of variables to take into consideration. Tornados, high gusts to name a few. Also would think if you are on the second floor or even third floor now a days, you would have a higher chance of failure.
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#17 Postby windycity » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:47 pm

you should be fine in a well built wood frame building ,as long as winds dont surpass cat 2 winds. Theres always the threat of microbursts so its always better to over prepared as far as reinforcements go. :P
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#18 Postby CrazyC83 » Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:41 pm

Wood frame buildings - here is how I see damage at each level, based on conditions seen at the location:

Tropical storm: Little or no damage from wind. Comparable to F0 tornado if any damage.

Category 1: Minor wind damage. Shingles likely gone and perhaps some roof damage. No real structural damage. Comparable to low F1 tornado.

Category 2: Minor structural damage possible. Roof possibly peeled off. Shingles likely gone. Comparable to high F1 or low F2 tornado.

Category 3: Significant damage. Roof likely gone, some walls in the upper floors possibly broken. Comparable to F2 tornado.

Category 4: Major structural damage and partial failure possible. Exterior walls severely damaged and possible collapse of part of the house. Comparable to low F3 tornado.

Category 5: Structural failure of building, likely destroyed. Comparable to high F3 or F4 tornado.
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#19 Postby Matt-hurricanewatcher » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:28 pm

I would buy my self a tank to live in if I lived into Florida.
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#20 Postby gatorcane » Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:40 pm

I would buy my self a tank to live in if I lived into Florida.


Matt - I think you may not be that far off on this assessment, especially if you live near the coast.
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