#Metal storm shelter plans install#
#Metal storm shelter plans manual#
#Metal storm shelter plans code#

The designer will want to create some kind of connection or cross corridor that allows people to exit the host building when the shelter doors are closed so that people don’t walk into a dead end.Īlso, the tornado doors should open out from the shelter. Unique designs should always be discussed with your SDI manufacturer.Ĭorridors and Swinging Doors: Consideration needs to be given when placing a shelter at the end of a corridor. So if the door is oriented horizontally-perhaps for a unique window design-it won’t latch properly. Hardware: Gravity is required to make most FEMA hardware work. Inswing doors with panic hardware will never meet FEMA/ICC500 requirements. The powerful winds or debris of a tornado could easily force it open. Panic Device: Think about how much pressure it takes to push a panic device to open an emergency exit door: hardly any. These can include interior openings communicating with the shelter space, which would become “exterior” openings if a tornado removed the surrounding non-hardened portions of the building. Now that architects are designing classrooms and assembly occupancies to also serve as shelters, door and hardware professionals may be confronted with some unusual conditions. This process is especially important with specialty doors like tornado doors lives may be on the line. In this meeting, the team should discuss common installation problems, review the installation instructions, and then perform a mock installation. It is imperative that the latter, the “boots on the ground” person, is present. The meeting might include the contractor, specifier, door supplier, manufacturer’s representative and the person who will perform the installation. It’s a good idea to have a pre-installation meeting. But you can’t “make it work” with tornado doors-instructions should be followed to the letter.

#Metal storm shelter plans install#

Often the people hired to install doors are handy people, skilled in making things work. This may cause the heavy bottom rods to drag and damage the floor.

Tornado doors are especially heavy, so there’s a high possibility that an improper installation will result in a sagging door. The Authority Having Jurisdiction also has the right to invoke the “special inspections” provision of the Code, at which time all installation and listing details will be required.

#Metal storm shelter plans manual#

Be sure to check the manufacturer’s installation directions, which are often found in a manual or even on a video on its website. An improper installation can result in the door not withstanding the labeled wind load. It is important to ensure that tornado doors are installed properly. In recent years we’ve heard heartbreaking stories about schools hit by tornadoes, so I’m really glad this is being added to the code.” Installation Is Critical I realize that schools are having trouble with funding as it is, but you really can’t put a price on a child’s life.

#Metal storm shelter plans code#

When interviewed recently about the code change, Schultz said, “This is long overdue in my opinion. Local codes could even require some existing facilities to be retrofitted with storm shelters.Ĭorey Schultz, an architect with Schultz Squared Architects in Wichita, Kan., is an expert on tornado shelters. While some regions may wait years to adopt IBC 2015, others have already chosen to implement shelter construction requirements in advance of IBC 2015. Emergency operation centers, 911 call stations, and fire, rescue, ambulance and police stations are also included. And it’s not only educational facilities that are affected by this change. Check out the map in ICC 500, and you will see that this zone ranges from Texas to Alabama up to New York.Īny new K-12 structure with the capacity to hold 50 or more people will be required to have shelter space to house the structure’s maximum occupancy. The International Building Code (IBC) 2015 requires that new school construction in areas susceptible to tornadoes with winds of 250 mph or higher must have storm shelters. Here are a handful of tips concerning specialty tornado doors and the shelters they protect. Tornado doors are unique products, and the regulatory landscape is shifting. Another reason may be that the greater number of high-profile tornadoes over the last few years has significantly increased public awareness of the need for properly designed shelters.

The biggest factor may be that tornado shelters can now look and function as part of the normal use of the space rather than only as shelters. Tornado doors are the hottest specialty product in the business right now.