Hurricanes are becoming stronger and more disruptive than ever. They’re also getting more expensive. On average, the cost of damages caused by a single hurricane is more than $22 billion. With incredible wind speeds and storm surges, escaping unscathed is increasingly improbable for any building in the path of a hurricane, making building design increasingly important, especially for schools, where every day lost impacts students.
We can’t stop the weather, but schools can and should focus on designing resilient buildings that minimize damage from a hurricane to ensure a quick recovery. School districts looking to invest in hurricane resiliency must start with a robust understanding of storms and the recovery process to optimize buildings and budgets for a rapid response.
School Building Designs That Minimize Hurricane Damage
Building an entire campus to withstand a hurricane without any damage is not a cost-effective use of resources. However, with careful planning and a strong understanding of weather events, schools can design affordable buildings that prevent catastrophic damage and ensure a smooth return to school.
Hurricane resiliency starts with the basics. Every building envelope has three main roles: an air barrier, a water barrier, and a thermal barrier. This is true during a hurricane, a regular day at school, or a summer of extreme heat. Understanding how these barriers come into play during a hurricane is the key to affordable hurricane preparedness.
Strengthening the air barrier is the top priority during a hurricane. With high winds hurtling through, anything on a building that isn’t properly secured can be ripped off and even thrown back into the building. Ensuring that the perimeter edge and any other components are tightly secured is a must.
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Similarly, objects from the surrounding area could be lifted into the air and become a threat to a building. The shed across the street, for instance, could turn into 2×4 spears coming at a classroom’s exterior wall. Buildings with soft exteriors, such as an exterior insulated facade (EIF) system, are easily compromised by these threats. Hardening the building envelope to withstand such impacts is a nonnegotiable for hurricane resiliency. Hardened facades such as a metal panel system can prevent new and existing buildings from debris caught up in high winds. Wind damage is a hurricane’s top threat. By understanding and proactively protecting against this threat, schools can minimize catastrophic damage to their buildings.
Considering the integrity of a building’s water barrier is integral to effective emergency preparedness and everyday operations. Depending on the area, the accompanying storm surge can pose a serious threat to a building’s water barrier. No matter how structurally sound or hardened a building is, it won’t be usable during or after a hurricane if it floods. Schools must understand the flooding risk of a storm surge and strengthen their water barriers accordingly. This careful attention to flood lines and dew points will protect buildings from mildew or water damage during regular use as well as natural disasters.
Establishing a Budget for Hurricane-Resilient School Buildings
Building a holistic budget is key to keeping the whole school district prepared to endure and quickly recover from a hurricane. It starts with a facility needs assessment that determines what each building needs to meet a certain standard based on the risks it currently faces. From there, districts can work with their budget to prioritize the top needs across the district. Developing a 20-year plan gives districts greater control over the distribution of funds, ensuring that improvements are consistently implemented and maintained. Long-term planning is central to successful hurricane preparedness.
Planning for repairs will keep schools ahead of the curve after a hurricane. Some damage will inevitably occur, so districts must be prepared to address it quickly. After a hurricane, demand for contractors goes up and, consequently, so do prices. Districts can anticipate this by working with contractors to establish repair plans before a hurricane even comes. By cementing contracts with hourly rates and response times, schools can prioritize rapid response at an affordable price.
Hurricanes aren’t avoidable, but catastrophic damage is. Careful planning can minimize damage and repair time at a low cost. Knowing the area’s weather risks and the district’s buildings is essential to saving time and money.
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Shawn LeCrone is the president of BEAM Professionals, a team of architects and building experts who specialize in cost-effective, energy-efficient and weather-tight systems for buildings constructed by PBK.
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