[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Tornado Shelter

Robert Waldrop bwaldrop at cox.net
Mon Jan 15 09:46:12 CST 2007 

I agree with Lawrence. I have seen entire 
neighborhoods of brick homes here in Oklahoma City 
levelled to ground level by tornadoes. 
Personally, I don't even trust the above-ground 
"safe room" structures, although that is probably 
more emotion than science.  If an F-5 tornado is 
coming, I want to be underground.

Strawbale structures were common on the Great 
Plains a hundred years ago, but I haven't seen 
anything that suggests tornado survivability. 
Check with this source, the Texas Tech University 
Dept of Wind Science tornado shelter studies.

http://www.wind.ttu.edu/Shelters/Shelters.php

Bob Waldrop, Oklahoma City
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lawrence Lile" <LLile at projsolco.com>
To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] [BULK] Tornado 
Shelter


> Wow - I'd be thinking about concrete, concrete 
> blocks, and solid wood steel doors with several 
> deadbolts. I guess I heard the "three little 
> pigs" too many times.  My tornado room is built 
> that way.  In the Midwest, there are no codes 
> that I know of that require a "hidey hole", but 
> many people here either put in a basement or 
> install some kind of shelter.  Put access to the 
> shelter inside your house - I've known people 
> that could not get to thier shelters because the 
> storm hit before they were ready.  Green, 
> Schmeen - Concrete isn't green but it holds 
> together in 250MPH winds.
>
> --Lawrence Lile
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org on 
> behalf of Stephen Collette
> Sent: Sun 1/14/2007 7:51 PM
> To: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
> Subject: [BULK] [Greenbuilding] Tornado Shelter
>
>
>
> Straw bale construction can be very durable and 
> survive such intense
> weather. They have been through them all. More 
> importantly it's how
> you tie them to the foundation and how you tie 
> the roof on.
>
> Berming works really well for a protective 
> building. Berm the north
> side for insulative improvement, and some 
> southern windows as well,
> (small and with covers) and you have a nice 
> little garden shed/
> greenhouse/tornado space. With the berm, it 
> makes it easier to move
> into a green roof for sure. You could probably 
> get some recycled
> concrete blocks or something for the berm wall. 
> You could use tires
> even (earthships style)
>
> As for cordwood or stackwall, yup, it will hold, 
> but it's really,
> really time consuming construction. If you have 
> the time, it's bomb
> proof and can be very pretty. It's also stupid 
> cheap.
>
> I'm not in tornado country (may change with 
> global warming) so I
> can't really give you an answer on that,, but I 
> would try local
> building officials as to what may be required by 
> code in your area.
> I'm sure there are others on this list who would 
> know more about that.
>
> The bottom line is any decent construction, 
> natural or stick frame
> could work, but it's how they all connect that 
> is more important than
> anything.
>
> Stephen
>
> Stephen Collette B.B.E.C
> Principal
>
> Your Healthy House
> Indoor Environmental Inspections & Building 
> Consulting
> www.yourhealthyhouse.ca
> stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
> 705.652.5159
>
>
>>
>> I want to build a garden shed that can double 
>> as a tornado shelter.
>>
>> I have read that ICF works great, but what 
>> about ICF.  Isn't this a
>> petroleum based product?
>>
>> Then there's concrete.  It seems aerated 
>> concrete may not be strong
>> enough to withstand large flying debris.
>>
>> What about Faswall and/or strawbale for 
>> shelters.  I like the idea of
>> having steel running through the buffering 
>> agents for strength.  With
>> Faswal you get that inner concrete skeleton.  I 
>> could use flyash in
>> that
>> concrete.
>>
>> What about cordwood?  I thought perhaps 
>> building a steel framework,
>> filling in with cordwood, then clamping a steel 
>> beam along the top of
>> the wall (forget the term for that beam).
>>
>> I had even looked ito a monolithic concrete 
>> poured dome, but I really
>> don't have enough space if I also want to 
>> install shelved, etc. for my
>> books, etc.
>>
>> What about a roof system?
>> I had thought the steel frame could be bolted 
>> to concrete footers,
>> extend up through the frame and through the 
>> roof to hold the roof on
>> (instead of a roof just being tacked onto the 
>> top).  The roof would
>> not
>> have overhangs (any windows would have their 
>> own overhang).  How
>> about a
>> sod roof?
>>
>> Of course earth shelters are cool, but I don't 
>> have tons of space.  I
>> could bank up earth on two sides.  What walls 
>> are best to support
>> banking of earth?
>>
>> So many questions....
>>
>> Elizabeth M. Seiler
>>
>>
>>
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>> End of Greenbuilding Digest, Vol 7, Issue 17
>> ********************************************
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