Case Study
Weathering the Storm
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, correctly engineered post-framed buildings stood tall amidst
the rubble of other buildings nearby. The reports were no surprise to those familiar with post-framed
buildings; their unique design characteristics perform exceptionally well under tremendous wind, snow,
and seismic loads.
It was not uncommon to see miles and miles of demolished buildings, interrupted by the occasional post-
framed building with little or no damage.
One customer said, “I’m not complaining! My building is the only one left standing for ten miles around.”
The hurricanes mangled stud-framed houses, twisted steel-framed structures (that looked like spaghetti),
and collapsed block buildings. Buildings in all directions were leveled; but not the post-framed ones.
Almost no building can survive a tornado. Some doors and windows were lost, but not fell.
At one airport in Florida, the report was total destruction except for a few buildings. The reporter stated,
“One hanger at the airstrip was post-framed, and out of all the others, which were mostly steel-framed
metal buildings, the post-framed building was unharmed. One building which was only 12’ away from the
post-framed hanger…was completely leveled.”
One owner in Biloxi stated, “We got hit by Katrina with winds up to 175 miles per hour. My building held up
immaculately.”
Summary: The ones that survived, with minimal damage, were post-framed buildings and all
concrete buildings. The big losers were steel framed metal buildings, stick-built homes and
buildings, and concrete block buildings.
Post-frame is superior to conventional steel or masonry construction in three ways.
First, you will enjoy increased energy efficiency and the lower heating and cooling bills that go with it for
years to come.
Second, the wide range of attractive and flexible design features are simply unmatched.
Third, and perhaps most important, post frame provides more strength and structural integrity for your
building dollar.
To learn more about the effects of wind on homes and buildings, just ask the owners of the ones that
fell…and then…ask the ones that survived.
Weathering the Storm
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, correctly engineered post-framed buildings stood tall amidst
the rubble of other buildings nearby. The reports were no surprise to those familiar with post-framed
buildings; their unique design characteristics perform exceptionally well under tremendous wind, snow,
and seismic loads.
It was not uncommon to see miles and miles of demolished buildings, interrupted by the occasional post-
framed building with little or no damage.
One customer said, “I’m not complaining! My building is the only one left standing for ten miles around.”
The hurricanes mangled stud-framed houses, twisted steel-framed structures (that looked like spaghetti),
and collapsed block buildings. Buildings in all directions were leveled; but not the post-framed ones.
Almost no building can survive a tornado. Some doors and windows were lost, but not fell.
At one airport in Florida, the report was total destruction except for a few buildings. The reporter stated,
“One hanger at the airstrip was post-framed, and out of all the others, which were mostly steel-framed
metal buildings, the post-framed building was unharmed. One building which was only 12’ away from the
post-framed hanger…was completely leveled.”
One owner in Biloxi stated, “We got hit by Katrina with winds up to 175 miles per hour. My building held up
immaculately.”
Summary: The ones that survived, with minimal damage, were post-framed buildings and all
concrete buildings. The big losers were steel framed metal buildings, stick-built homes and
buildings, and concrete block buildings.
Post-frame is superior to conventional steel or masonry construction in three ways.
First, you will enjoy increased energy efficiency and the lower heating and cooling bills that go with it for
years to come.
Second, the wide range of attractive and flexible design features are simply unmatched.
Third, and perhaps most important, post frame provides more strength and structural integrity for your
building dollar.
To learn more about the effects of wind on homes and buildings, just ask the owners of the ones that
fell…and then…ask the ones that survived.
| Steel Framed Metal Building After the Storm |