Being an architect, I can say that for some reason it is in our nature, the architectural community, never to turn work down unless, we feel that it is WAY over our heads to provide services on a particular project UNLESS we are willing to find a consultant that can help us through…..on everything except tornado shelters. I just don’t get it! It appears that a majority, not all, but a majority feel that shelters are nothing more than adding a little more rebar in the walls, putting those shutter “thingies” over the windows, installing vault doors, and putting concrete or dirt on the roof. “I’m done! Problem solved!” Unfortunately, it is well beyond those issues, WELL BEYOND!
And because of these reasons, the ICC-500 and the FEMA 361 call for peer reviews as a shelter/safe room requirement for both architectural (coming in the next editions) and structural (current requirement) for any shelter that protects more than 50 occupants. It is a second set of eyes to help assure that the end users of that shelter are safe in a tornadic event. THAT’S IT!!!
So, if I were a designer that had never done a shelter but just could not turn down the project due to lack of experience, it would be a REALLY good idea for that designer to get their shelter peer reviewed by someone that has some shelter experience. BETTER YET, put them on the design team so that intelligent decisions can be made through out the process! OMG, what a novel idea? OR if I were an experienced shelter/safe room designer, wouldn’t the second set of eyes be a good idea anyway? You need to avoid the temptation of hiring your buddy at another firm that knows nothing about shelter design, to review your shelters and you’ll review his. The “scratch mine/scratch yours” scenario. That’s a lose/lose situation! You may save a little money but your neck just become as long as a giraffe’s! AND a big target for a law suit should something go wrong!
I have had the opportunity to conduct peer reviews for six other architects in the past couple of years, which has amounted to 14 different tornado shelter/safe room. And out of all 14 projects, not a single one of them were without several issues. These are what I would consider really good architectural firms and half of them were experienced shelter designers! And that is only on the architectural side of things. Not sure where they stood on the structural reviews.
Peer reviews are important. Peer reviews are something that should not be left until the end of the construction document phase. Why? How many architects out there have enough working budget to redo the project if the shelter was completely botched? Not many that I know. So then what happens? Poor decision making? YES! Justifying design mistakes? YES! And who knows what else! Peer reviews should start at the schematic design level and continue throughout the design process.
So check your egos at the door and find someone to watch over your shoulder. Someone’s life and/or your livelihood as an architect/engineer could depend on it!!!
Be careful out there!