Disaster Smart Design
ARMANDO COBO
| Posted in General Questions on
After hearing Sam Rashkin mention Disaster Design category in a future Energy Star program and, now looking at pictures and videos of homes getting destroyed by earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, hail storms, etc. etc. It would be nice if we could start developing “Disaster Smart Design” principles (or DSD) that we should follow in different regions of the country. I’m sure the codes address a great number of issues, but many good ideas form folks in the industry could be recommendations for better DSD.
Does it sound like a reasonable idea? Could/should the GBA start categorizing some of these ideas in the website?
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Replies
Absolutely a reasonable idea! It's quite amazing (and unfortunate) how we've gotten so dependent on modern conveniences that when they fail, buildings can become, in the worst cases, uninhabitable (even if they don't fall down).
Alex Wilson has been promoting this idea - using the phrase "passive survivability" - for a while now. Check out http://www.buildinggreen.com/search/index.cfm?q=passive+survivability
Cramer,
Thanks for the tip on Alex’s writings… I wonder if he would like to chime in, and if he’s developed a list or something we can all add to it.
Armando I have a compilation of storm resistant framing details at FHB http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17009/surviving-the-storm-energy-efficient-framing-practices-for-hurricane-and-tornado-country/page/all