ASCE Releases World's First Tornado Safety Building Standard
Post date
January 03, 2022
Body
Matthew Thibault, Construction Dive
The American Society of Civil Engineers has released a new standard for protecting buildings from tornado damage, the society announced on Dec. 1.
The standard is the first of its kind in the world. It offers guidance designed to protect infrastructure from tornadoes ranking from 0 to 2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which translates to winds ranging from 40 mph at the bottom of EF0 to 157 mph at the top of EF2. In the U.S., approximately 80% of tornadoes are EF0 to EF1 strength.
The standards aren't meant for residential construction, but rather for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and fire stations which are needed immediately after a disaster.