Tag Archives: FEMA Safe Room

Should I be designing my storm shelter per the ICC-500 or the FEMA P-361?

Recently we have had a couple clients ask about community storm shelter peer reviews and why we are peer reviewing the designs per the ICC-500 and not the FEMA P-361?  The simplest answer is the ICC-500 is a standard that is tied directly to the building code and the FEMA P-361 is a guideline.  The ICC-500 must be followed if you are designing a storm shelter using the IBC 2009 or later.  The FEMA P-361 guidelines may also be required if the storm shelter is funded by a FEMA grant.

The next question we are often asked is if there are discrepancies between the two documents? That question can be answered by the FEMA P-361 Appendix D which is a “Comparison Matrix of Differences between ICC 500 Requirements and FEMA Recommended Criteria.”  As you can see by the provided matrix the main differences are in regards to coastal flooding shelters and first aid kits.

Thanks for following, and remember.  Ask questions, do your research, and make an informed decision. The lives of you or others may depend on it.

Written by Shauna Schultz, AIA

“If you are not underground you will not survive!”

As storm shelter designers we constantly hear the statement made that “You cannot survive an EF4 or EF5 tornado unless you are underground”. This information couldn’t be further from the truth. We now know there are codes in place to assist designers and engineers in designing above ground shelters that will withstand an EF5 tornado and provide near-absolute protection to those seeking refuge during the storm.

There have been several above ground shelters in the past few years which have performed quite well in tornados in Oklahoma. To my knowledge there has only been one fatality in an above ground shelter that was constructed per the FEMA P-320 EXCEPT it was found to have had a non-tested door assembly installed. (Reference Schultz Squared Architects’ earlier blog for this information.)

While there is nothing wrong with the idea of being underground in the event of the tornado, I would like to point out some of the potential, problems with underground shelters.

  1.  Bobber Effect: This one is pretty scary, and with the large amounts of rain and the ground becoming saturated last summer in Oklahoma there were numerous tornado shelters that actually floated out of the ground just like a fishing bobber in water!Tornado Shelter Failurtes-Bobbers
  2. Water infiltration: Whenever a portion of any building is put underground, there is always a potential for ground water to find its way into the building either through surface water or ground water. For obvious reasons the last thing that you need is a tornado shelter that has doubled as an underground swimming pool! Many of the residential underground shelters do not provide waterproofing and/or drainage system around the exterior (similar to a foundation drain around your basement that dumps into your sump) and over time, this could become an issue for you.Tornado Shelter Failure-water infiltration
  3. Exiting: If you are underground in a debris carrying tornado and it drops your house/building on the door, does anyone know to look for you as you may become trapped for some time before being “dug” out. If that’s the case let’s just hope the torrential rains do not follow the tornado or…see issue number 2.
  4.  Accessibility: In a residential shelter stairs are an acceptable method of accessing an underground tornado shelter, for the elderly or physically impaired person whether temporarily or permanently this may not be feasible. In a community shelter wheelchair, accessibility route must be provided along with (2) exits from an underground space, which adds significant cost to the design of the facility.
  5.  Ventilation: The building code requires a certain amount of ventilation be provided for both residential and community shelters. Some of that ventilation should be near the floor and some near the roof of the shelter. This is much more difficult to accomplish in a community underground shelter. Another issue regarding ventilation/infiltration are hazardous vapors, anything that is heavier than air will have a tendency to find its way into your underground shelter, i.e. solvents, paint, gasoline, diesel, & kerosene, all of which could be disastrous if it finds its way to a flame source either internal or external to the shelter.

If you decide an underground shelter is right for your building/house do your research and make sure the designer/supplier is reputable and knows how to prevent the issues I have listed above because the tornado is not the only danger that may surround the event. Please don’t misinterpret this blog and believe I am telling you to avoid a well-designed/installed underground shelter as it may be the best place for you to be in a high wind event. Just understand what you are getting yourself into.

Thanks for following, and remember. Ask questions, do your research, and make an informed decision. The lives of you or others may depend on it. Written by Shauna Schultz, AIA

Tornado Shelters-ICC-500 2014 Commentary is Available

It’s been a while since our last blog….”We’ve been busy!”

I just received my OFFICIAL copy of the ICC 500-2014 Standard and COMMENTARY!  We were one of several volunteers that help write the commentary.  It can be purchased from the International Code Council at www.iccsafe.org for about $42.00.  You can get either soft bound or a PDF copy.  There is a discount for ICC members.

Even after being involved, I am a little disappointed in some aspects of the commentary.  The volunteer committee had the opportunity to review and comment on an early draft copy of the commentary.  Unfortunately, at least in my case, many of my comments were not addressed.  In the end, the volunteer committee was not given an opportunity to review the final draft of the document and subsequently, in my humble opinion, there are mistakes.  I believe once it is read through, those issues will be glaring to a designer.  Bear in mind that a large portion of the commentary was written by those that do not design or produce shelters and therefore do not understand the real world ramifications of the commentary, the code standard, and/or the building code.

I will point out one of the least problematic mistakes….in the credits, they have our firm name as “Schultz Architects, LLC”.  I guess someone could not figure out what “Squared” meant.  With all the free time and effort that this company has put forth for this document, you would think….Needless to say, not happy!!!!  That is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg!

If someone can explain figure 304.9 to me, I would GREATLY appreciate it!  Also, watch out for 309.1 comments!

It’s unfortunate but now that it is published, “it is what it is”!

Be careful out there!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C

 

Now where was I……Oh yeah!  Recently, I sat on the steering committee for the third edition of the FEMA P-361 document which I am happy to inform you that it is now available for download free of charge at www.fema.gov.  I just received an e-mail from the Project Manager for the revisions of the FEMA P-361 that states there were some problems with the initial upload of the documents so if you happened to download a copy prior to 4/28/15, I would recommend downloading it again.

Also available is the latest edition of the ICC 500, the 2014 edition which I was a voting member of the ICC Committee.  It can be purchased from the International Code Council at www.iccsafe.org for about $32.00.  There is a discount for ICC members.

fema_p361_search_previewThe FEMA P-361 has gone through a major overhaul especially with the format.  The document has been revised to align with the format of the ICC 500.  For designers, it is soooo much easier to cross reference with the ICC 500, which saves time.  The content of the FEMA P-361 has been revised to be more in line with the requirements of the ICC 500-2014.  Another improvement is a matrix which shows the remaining differences between the FEMA P-361 and the ICC 500.

There have been several changes in the ICC 500 too numerous to discuss here.  I think the most positive item is commentary for the document (yeahhhhhh) which is long overdue.  There is a committee of which I have volunteered that is currently working on the commentary document which should be out later this fall.

Be careful out there!

Written By Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C