As Hurricane Season Descends, Products, Education Can Help with Resilient Design Understanding
Hurricane season is upon us once again. Already this year, Hurricane Laura made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm. Although it will be some time before a dollar amount is associated with the destruction, history indicates it could be pricey. Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey reign as the costliest hurricanes, at $125 billion in damage each, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Buildings and infrastructure can account for a substantial portion of that figure, and conversations around resiliency in building often follow natural disasters. Ryan Colker, vice president, innovation and executive director for the Alliance for National and Community Resilience, an International Code Council initiative, says professionals can design new buildings to address shocks such as hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.
Related Reading: After the Storm: Windows and doors play an important role in the growing study of resilience for buildings
Part of that design challenge is understanding what impact-rated and hurricane-specific products are on the market. Here are five residential impact-rated products on display this month at GlassBuild Connect:
- 164 Impact Series PVC Window System by Deceuninck
- Corsair Gliding Patio Door by Veka
- Crimsafe Security and Hurricane Window Screens by Crimsafe North America
- Hurricane Resistant Door, Window and Sliding System by Cuhadaroglu Metal San. Ve Paz. A.S.
- Novaflex Ultra-Low Migration High Impact Glazing Sealant by Novagard
Code development is also an important element of resilient design. As the number of severe events, and the severity of those events continues to increase, according to Colker, code developers are challenged with being forward-focused to develop codes that ensure as resilient a design as possible.
GlassBuild Connect’s education track also includes several sessions applicable to increasing knowledge around codes, installation methods around severe weather events and creating processes to certify products. All of the sessions are free, but require registration.
Education
On Demand: Energy Code Evolutions in 2020
This session, intended for our global audience, will review codes and standards updates important to the North American glass and fenestration industries; presented by Tom Culp, Birch Point Consulting & NGA codes consultant.
InstallationMasters: Overview and Insights on Severe Wind & Water, Sept. 10, 2:30 p.m. ET
FGIA provides a broad overview of installation methods per consensus-based industry standards and reinforce the importance of proper installation. Plus, a closer look at InstallationMasters for New Construction in severe wind and water. Note: FGIA will offer a special discount on the InstallationMasters program exclusive to GlassBuild Connect participants
Preparing a Test Plan, Sept. 11, 1 p.m. ET
Sponsored by Deceuninck
In this presentation from WDMA, Rhonda Schotz of UL will summarize the various building codes and industry standards that apply to fenestration, the required testing need to certify products and assist manufacturers in creating test plans that maximize the ability to certify non-tested products. At the completion of this presentation, manufacturers should be able to create a fenestration product test plan for submission and approval to agency of their choice.
