23 replies to this topic

[rickster]

No new posts for more than 24 hours. It's obvious everyone's minds are in Southern US.

Our prayers and thoughts from Puerto RIco to everyone affected by this catastrofic hurricane.

[Kevin Leclair]

Ditto, I just can't believe the amount of destruction. Everyone is feeling the pain from this one, it is just a horrible disaster.

[gofast]

Ditto, I just can't believe the amount of destruction. Everyone is feeling the pain from this one, it is just a horrible disaster.

Myself and other Floridians with airboats are on FEMA standby for water rescue.

[thumper]

only saw it for the first time on news last night - incredible - reminded me of the tsunami during the new year - how do you recover from something like that?

how do you manage to live with hurricanes - we have had only one in the uk in my lifetime and that was bad enough but nothing like the ones you suffer in the us

[gofast]

only saw it for the first time on news last night - incredible - reminded me of the tsunami during the new year - how do you recover from something like that?

how do you manage to live with hurricanes - we have had only one in the uk in my lifetime and that was bad enough but nothing like the ones you suffer in the us

Thankfully their not all like this one. Last year we were hit by four. Lived on generator power , cooked on grill for 2 weeks. Really cuts into your seadoo time.

[thumper]

yesterday we had a power cut which lasted 5 minutes in a thunder storm - that was a real inconvenience - 4 hurricanes - wow - just cant imagine - what i dont understand is you still build timber framed houses in the us - hurricanes and tornadoes just blow them apart???? why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

[gofast]

yesterday we had a power cut which lasted 5 minutes in a thunder storm - that was a real inconvenience - 4 hurricanes  - wow - just cant imagine - what i dont understand is you still build timber framed houses in the us - hurricanes and tornadoes just blow them apart???? why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

You know us yanks. we're a stubborn lot. Actually its economics timber is plentifull in south ,bricks in the north. Upscale homes here are often block and brick,but not working class homes.

[tiggerman]

No new posts for more than 24 hours. It's obvious everyone's minds are in Southern US.

Our prayers and thoughts from Puerto RIco to everyone affected by this catastrofic hurricane.

Thanks Rickster..... I am in Alabama and experienced the wind and rain (lost power for 1 night PLUS got a new niece), but nothing like those in Gulfport/Biloxi experienced. And as for New Orleans, just unbelievable. May God have mercy.

[Kevin Leclair]

tigg glad to hear you guys weathered the storm okay!

[johnv]

Pray for the looters, that they will see the error of their ways. We need more good samaritans in this situation, and fewer criminals/cop killers.

[tiggerman]

tigg glad to hear you guys weathered the storm okay!

Thanks Kev.... It was pretty scary, but no damage. Lots of trees/lines down. We are fortunate to have a power substation in the same block, so it gets attention quickly from Alabama Power.
johnv: I hear ya about praying for those down there who don't appear to care what is going on around them.

[tiggerman]

why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

Google this: Oak Grove High School April 8th 1998

An F-5 tornado treated this high school ( which is in my neighborhood) like a box of toothpicks. The construction was steel/brick/block... Didn't matter what it was made of. In contrast, there were stick built homes along the path of this killer that were untouched. The school was a total loss- it has since been rebuilt in another location. Out of steel/brick/block once again.

[gofast]

why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

Google this: Oak Grove High School April 8th 1998

An F-5 tornado treated this high school ( which is in my neighborhood) like a box of toothpicks. The construction was steel/brick/block... Didn't matter what it was made of. In contrast, there were stick built homes along the path of this killer that were untouched. The school was a total loss- it has since been rebuilt in another location. Out of steel/brick/block once again.

An F-5 is like a 500 lb gorilla ,it does what it wants . Our airboat group has been ordered by FEMA to standby. Apparently the bad guys over there(theres always some in every crowd)are taking shots at the boats already there.Iwant to help those people but not at that price.The military is gonna take over.

[tda3]

yesterday we had a power cut which lasted 5 minutes in a thunder storm - that was a real inconvenience - 4 hurricanes - wow - just cant imagine - what i dont understand is you still build timber framed houses in the us - hurricanes and tornadoes just blow them apart???? why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

Background: Lived in Pass Christian, MS when Hurricane Camille struck and we stayed during that hurricane. Sadly, my parents still live there and stayed thru Katrina too. They're ok seeings how their house is at 26' of elevation.

As for construction, there's really on two designs that could possibly withstand the forces (wind & water) associated with a hurricane.

Wind - If the wind speed is high enough, there's not much you can do. But for 150 to 180 MPH winds, a precast concrete structure would survive easily. Concrete block construction would fair well also as long as there was sufficient reinforcement within the walls and the walls were tied to the foundation. Mortor joints of the blocks are the weak link.

Water - This is the bad guy in a hurricane. The hydraulic forces that water can generate are enormous. Remember - water is an incompressible fluid. So when you do the F=MA math of several trillion gallons of seawater moving at 20 mph, you've got one mo'fo' amount of force. So how to combat it?

Well, one method would be to build the house high enough to avoid the storm surge. The pilings the house would sit on would be pre-stresssed concrete columns that were round. The round shape would present the least resistance to the water. Additionally, a flow analysis could be done to ensure the placement of the columns didn't cause a "packing up" of the water as it flowed past the multiple columns. The area under the house could be used for garage and storage.

Another idea would be to design a home that was shaped such that it presented little to no resistance to the water. Like maybe a round concrete structure or even one that was shaped like a tear drop. Interior design might be tricky, but doable.

Of course, none of this matters if you're hit by a huge floating casino.

Tom

[gofast]

yesterday we had a power cut which lasted 5 minutes in a thunder storm - that was a real inconvenience - 4 hurricanes  - wow - just cant imagine - what i dont understand is you still build timber framed houses in the us - hurricanes and tornadoes just blow them apart???? why not use concrete blocks and bricks like us in the uk??????

Background: Lived in Pass Christian, MS when Hurricane Camille struck and we stayed during that hurricane. Sadly, my parents still live there and stayed thru Katrina too. They're ok seeings how their house is at 26' of elevation.

As for construction, there's really on two designs that could possibly withstand the forces (wind & water) associated with a hurricane.

Wind - If the wind speed is high enough, there's not much you can do. But for 150 to 180 MPH winds, a precast concrete structure would survive easily. Concrete block construction would fair well also as long as there was sufficient reinforcement within the walls and the walls were tied to the foundation. Mortor joints of the blocks are the weak link.

Water - This is the bad guy in a hurricane. The hydraulic forces that water can generate are enormous. Remember - water is an incompressible fluid. So when you do the F=MA math of several trillion gallons of seawater moving at 20 mph, you've got one mo'fo' amount of force. So how to combat it?

Well, one method would be to build the house high enough to avoid the storm surge. The pilings the house would sit on would be pre-stresssed concrete columns that were round. The round shape would present the least resistance to the water. Additionally, a flow analysis could be done to ensure the placement of the columns didn't cause a "packing up" of the water as it flowed past the multiple columns. The area under the house could be used for garage and storage.

Another idea would be to design a home that was shaped such that it presented little to no resistance to the water. Like maybe a round concrete structure or even one that was shaped like a tear drop. Interior design might be tricky, but doable.

Of course, none of this matters if you're hit by a huge floating casino.

Tom

Or do what i did .Move inland and doo your dooin on a lake.

[Kevin Leclair]

Very interesting Tom!

[thumper]

you are a veritable mine of information tom

[tda3]

you are a veritable mine of information tom

Noooooo..........my wife says that I am a plethora of useless information.

Sadly - she's right.

Tom

[gofast]

you are a veritable mine of information tom

Noooooo..........my wife says that I am a plethora of useless information.

Sadly - she's right.

Tom

At least you know how to use a thesaurus

[tiggerman]

you are a veritable mine of information tom

Noooooo..........my wife says that I am a plethora of useless information.

Sadly - she's right.

Tom

At least you know how to use a thesaurus

I thought those were extinct......