Tornado Alley - Why not concrete and steel?

[Bricktop]

Way more expensive...it's the labour cost that makes it prohibitive...only millionaires build homes with steel reinforced concrete in America...

[Mosiah]

That's weird! Wood frame houses look so much more difficult to build!

[Bricktop]

Dem man slap up a wood frame house in a couple months...wood frame a easy ting...plus they gonna have cut CMU block to run conduit and ducts and all dem tings...very labour intensive...

[Muadib]

Yuh tink deh Lumbah Lobby easy.. ??

Try yuh bess...

[Karl]

Anyone knows why houses in Tornado alley are not constructed of concrete and steel? Would those be safer houses or would they complicat the rescue effort?

Got me thinking abut JA...and need to build to withstand 250mph - 350mph winds....as it appears the super-storms are putting on more and more muscle as the years go by...

[Karl]

[quote=Mosiah;425456]Really? Concrete houses are the answer and this is no big scientific breakthrough. Americans build with wood because it is cheaper. So yes, it requires a cultural rethink and perhaps a better appreciation of the value of life over building materials.

And even if some concrete structures may fail in 200 mph tornado winds, how many times do we get that sort of a tornado?!?[/quote]

....so, for example, no need for home insurance? After all the chances of any of fire, wind or water ruining the house is extremely low... or what about no need for health insurance as the chance of catastrophic illness in one's lifetime is extremely low... and...?????

As far as I am concerned, if it passes through once in one hundred years that is necessary.

[Tilla]

Yes full concrete house may not necessarily save lives as the roof and windows can be blown out. At 250 mph winds, the roof gets torn off, windows blown out and occupant can still be sucked out.

Storm shelter is certainly a better and more cost effective way to where you have a fortified area in the building where one can go to wait out the storm. These storms usually last minutes, not hours, so it is only needed for a short period. They build shelters which are of reenforced concrete all around with a steel door. One have to hope the door does not get torn off during the storm.

Also, there is the possibility that a 2x4 could sailed through the concrete wall. I have heard of these crazy things happening in these situations. See the attached picture from Joplin, Missouri a couple years ago.

Joplin's tornado put a 2x4 through a concrete curb

[Tilla]

One more thing. People die in these parts when they cannot heat or cool their places to remain comfortable. When we have temperatures here in the Midwest getting up to 43°C (110°F) many people die of heat exhaustion. The other end of the spectrum people die from hypothermia when thy live in places they cannot heat effectively.

So yes, it is about saving lives any way you look at it.

[Karl]

It is suggested that the shelters be underground!!!
So stronger buildings with excellent surrounding drainage (remember it was said kids drowned in a school's basement)...with quality underground shelters.

[Tilla]

Ideally they do them underground which is the best option. In some places like Oklahoma and parts of Texas, there are underground rocks which makes it expensive to build basements or underground shelters. It could be done, but is expensive. In these cases, they build above ground shelters.

Here is a company in Harrison, Missouri that builds deployable shelters you put in your garage.
http://fox4kc.com/2013/05/20/harriso...nado-shelters/

The problem is, if you chose to make a run to say the supermarket and cannot get back in time to get in your shelter, then you could be out of luck. Most times you will not have advanced warning as you do with a hurricane.

[Mosiah]

As far as I am concerned, if it passes through once in one hundred years that is necessary.

Well, life is never planned around 100 year disasters. Just think about how ridiculous that would be and the cost to do that!