Storm "resistant" Houses.

snapper21

Was watching a thing on storm "resistant" houses this week and just had to know. These things were put up on what looked like pt posts and it didn't show how far down they were in the ground, but the ground was sand since the house was on the water.
Was wondering really just how long is the houses life expectancy seeing that it is under the time table of the posts. Do they go old school and burn the bottoms of the posts?

Shamrock

I didn't see the show but here on the Banks the code is 8 feet deep unless it's oceanfront in which case it's closer to 16 to 18 feet (depends on water table). All pilings are 8x8 (if it has a roof over it or a second level deck) or bigger and the highest grade of pressure treatment for ground contact. No burning of the post bottoms is done here. Generally if the home is 8 feet above grade and properly x-braced, the ocean storm surge will roll under the house with little or no damage save for the septic system, exterior stairs and possible loss of concrete driveway due to undermining.

CC1

Go to Popular Mechanics. They did a story (last month I think) about storm proofing the Gulf Coast. It was really interesting. I would guess the life span of a home like that is 50 to 60 years though.

Teetorbilt

You can also look up articles on construction in the Florida Keys. Most new construction is on pilings and while they look normal, they have 'blow-out' panels on the ground floor that are designed to save the main structure.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

DaveH

People who construct structures like homes or condos on PT posts are nuts! Put in the extra time and money to use concrete! I have taken some tours of various areas of the gulf coast and have seen many homes on PT! A $850,000 house sitting on a $500,000 lot and they plan on it standing MAYBE 50 years...MAYBE! Concrete and steel baby concrete and steel!!!!

Tscarborough

The life expectancy of a reinforced concrete piling in a beach environment is just about the same as wood, in my experience.

Teetorbilt

Ts, I guess that it all depends on the quality of the work. One house that my father built back in '53 had over 50 pilings driven down to bedrock (about 28'). The house was about 6' above sea level at high tide and the house was on an inland island but still very much saltwater.

Property values destroyed the house but not the foundation, a new home was built upon it.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Tscarborough

I sorry, I was refering to PIP, not driven concrete pilings.

Teetorbilt

Ts, we're so far ahead and so far behind.

All one has to do is go to ancient structures, the Mayan/Inca/Aztec in South America. The Egyptians. For concrete, the Romans. Just food for thought.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

DaveH

Driven Concrete Pilings even PIP. Nature does have a way of reclaiming it's own but...Concrete vs Wood? No contest. Pour in place is tough in the sand however.......but not impossible. I remember after Andrew hit Homestead there were few houses standing, and most were concrete and steel framed. Wood framing has definate pull-out issues with fasteners. When talking wind load I'll take a screw into steel any day over nails in wood. Look at "THE KATRINA ZONE" in La. I know some of those people would liked to have had steel studs in lieu of those rotting molding 2x's. Hindsight always 20/20.

Tscarborough

I agree, though it is easy to make a really big pile of rocks and have it last for hundreds or thousands of years. The hard thing is to reduce the mass and make it last.

I have seen wooden pilings from 2-300 year old structures that were in perfect shape, other than the fact that the above ground structure had been razed or burned, usually on purpose.

The Tarpon Inn in Port Aransas Texas, a 2 story hotel, was built on wooden pilings in 1886, and has withstood many severe hurricanes, at least one of which left structures built upon PIP concrete pilings broken and leaning.

Teetorbilt

Dave, it sounds as if you are in the area. Are you? We were based in Ft. Laud. back in the 60's and 70's. They eased the code down to 110 MPH to allow Kendall and Homestead to be built. Dad predicted the exact results. We continued to build at a 140, estimated.

The place was built on a hope and a prayer for developers gain. They took the money and ran. The HO's were stuck with substandard (but economical) housing for the area. At least, Dad was wrong about the death toll. He predicted thousands.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

nailhead

Teetor, your post mentioning "blowout panels" brought me back to when I was framing beach houses on pilings in Galveston in the early '80's. We called them blowout walls.

As I recall, they were regular framed walls, but we only nailed them top and bottom at the corners and maybe a cut nail or two in the shoe plate.

I seem to remember HO's weren't even allowed to have plumbing (bathrooms, etc) on the bottom floor, (under the pilings) so many of them had a fake concrete "cap" over the pipes until after inspection.

Heh, back in the day...

DaveH

Yes Teet. I live in Orlando. I moved here a couple of years ago from Indiana. I also owned a beach condo in Gulf Shores Alabama. I sold it 1 month before Ivan hit. The building was destroyed. Lucky for me...unlucky for the folks who ended up with it! I have clients all over the state (FL) now. I see plans from all over the US proposing buildings in Florida. Some Architects get it some very obviously don't. I just estimated a shopping center where they had many provisions for earthquakes, and none for hurricanes. Cailifornia architects! I'm not a native, but I do believe we had more earthquakes in Indiana than you have here...
Dave

Teetorbilt

Dave, I've been here 55 yrs. and have yet to experience an earthquake, never heard of one here either. If there had ever been one in the last 10,000 yrs. I'm sure that it would be in the local indian lore and it's not.

Whereabouts in IN? I have family up that way.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

DaveH

Bloomington and Columbus

__________________
A buck a foot is not an estimate! It's a crap shoot!

Teetorbilt

Most of mine are sprinkled around the NE quadrant, Richmond, Ft. Wayne, So. Bend.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Travis77

check this out,,,, I used to work for this company,,, we built tornado and hurricane proof houses,,, then eventually started the moble homes,,,lol,,,, something to humm and hawww over anyway,,,check out the pics and projects. here is the link.


http://perfectwall.net/

Teetorbilt

There are many ways to build stormproof homes.

I studied and built aerohydrofoils. My mentor stated that 'if you want a fast sailboat, first get rid of the sail and then get rid of the boat'.

How does this apply to home design? First you have to get over 'the box' type of design and then you have to integrate modern materials. If everybody's mindset could get away from common appearance and construction, I could shell a 300+ MPH home in a week.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Tscarborough

The wind part is easy to solve, but the hydraulic aspect is a bit more problematical. I still think it is easy enough to build, but, like you, I don't think a box will survive either.