Hurricane Proof

I saw an odd looking house on TV last night.

Built in Florida, it was a half-dome. The home owner had suffered
extensive damage from a hurricane and was not about to go through that
again. The house was about a hundred feet from the open ocean, but up on a
small bluff, maybe 25 or 30 feet.

First they inflated a gigantic balloon. Actually, it was a special balloon.
The bottom was flat and then the rest was a half-sphere. They covered the
balloon with insulation and then formed steel rebar all over the dome.
Concrete was then blown over the dome. The concrete looked to be about
eight or ten inches thick. They removed the balloon, and then built up the
inside of the home.

The center of the dome was mostly open on the ground floor. They estimated
that the house could withstand a 40 to 50 foot storm surge with no damage.
In addition, the spherical shape didn't resist the wind, but allowed it to
flow around and over the home. In addition, the concrete was virtually
impervious to flying debris, even debris driven at hurricane speeds.

Certainly not a traditional home, but not un-attractive, and the home has
stood up to four subsequent hurricanes with very minor damage. (Apparently,
the widows now have armored shutters).

Construction costs were higher than conventional stick-built homes, but not
outrageously so. (Owner estimated the original cost at 120 percent.) FOR
SURE, the additional cost has been recovered several times over, just in the
past few years.

In the Midwest, we talk about "Tornado Alley". Southern Florida should
probably be designated as the "Hurricane Thruway" of the US and building
codes modified to reflect that status. (I know that the Florida codes have
been modified extensively, but more is probably needed).


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