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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

Water is Nature’s Best Solvent

We as architects spend a great deal of our career figuring out how to keep water out of the structures we design. Water that is allowed to penetrate the non-permeable envelope of any given building over time can and will create damage and may give mold one of the ingredients that it needs to grow. Water, given time, can literally destroy a building. It can rust out the steel structure, roof deck, bar joists, embedded columns/beams/lintels, soften mortar, spall off the face of brick, diminish/eliminate the effective R-value of roof and wall insulation, ruin gypsum board, ceiling tile/grids, rot wood windows, wood building structure, and wood nailers, ruin wood gym floors, rust out hollow metal door frames and doors, support termite colonies, and ruin interior finishes.

Over the past 32 years, I have done more door/frame replacements, window replacements, reroofs, roof deck replacements, and masonry tuckpointing projects than I care to count. All of these are examples of issues that may have been avoided if joints in the building envelope would have been kept sealed with caulking. For example, the joint between a window jamb and the masonry wall. This may not hurt an aluminum window but over time can cause masonry joints to go bad prematurely, create that white, salty looking film on the face of the brick commonly known as efflorescence which honestly is an aesthetic issue, or allow water to seep into the concrete block which can literally push the paint off the interior side of exterior walls, or can rust embedded steel window and door lintels below this opening. I have seen all of these examples. And if let unattended, all of these problems can be extremely expensive to replace/correct. Best advice? Stop it before it happens!

Over my career, I have designed many new buildings. Once completed, the first thing I tell the building owner is “Keep all the joints caulked!” Some building owners believe that since it is a new building, I should not have to conduct any maintenance until the roof leaks! That’s like saying “Since the building is new, I shouldn’t have to clean it”. Yes, I have experienced this non-maintenance on many occasions. The fact is caulking is probably the first thing to go bad on a building. Numerous times I have observed on 2-3-year-old buildings caulk joints that are split/separated/falling out. Now, this may be in part due to improper application of the caulking originally, potential contamination of an area in the joint which did not let the caulk to adhere properly, kids poking pencils into caulk joints, etc. The fact is, when a caulk joint goes bad, it needs to be replaced fairly quickly! As soon as that joint opens, water in going to intrude!

We always recommend to all of our clients that they inspect caulk joints top to bottom at least once a year and replace all that has failed. Spending $7 on a tube of caulk can pay HUGE dividends in the life cycle cost of any building. Take my word for it, It is cheap insurance.

A word of caution; not all caulking/sealants are the same. There are certain types for certain applications. As this can be somewhat a lengthy discussion, I will leave it to another time. Just don’t go out and purchase a case of tub/tile caulk to try to repair an exterior 2” expansion joint!

There are also right and wrong ways to caulk joints. You can find instructions on the internet. If not followed, you will be wasting your money! This too we will leave for another day.

Be careful out there!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C

“With the potential school closing looming….”

It seems money is always tight in any one’s budget and there is always a challenge to figure out how to stretch a dollar even further. And when Topeka says “Lock the doors” has anyone considered what this means for the actual buildings” Many times administrators look to cutting energy costs by shutting down mechanical systems when the building is not occupied for example summer recess or maybe a school system shutdown. We have seen this done only for returning staff to find classrooms covered with mold and to compound the problem, with only a couple of weeks before schools starts! Ugh!

For growth, mold needs food, water, and the right temperature. Food is really anything that is organic, dust, paper fibers, human dander, organic dirt particles, and mold loves it! It needs a source of moisture which can be a water source, i.e. leaky roof, pipe leak, etc. and/or high humidity which happens in Kansas during the summer months. Finally, mold likes warm temperatures which like humidity occurs during the Kansas summers.

Classrooms are not like an operating room or a “clean-room” and we cannot expect them to be. As good as any given custodial staff may be, dirt, dust, paper fibers, human dander, etc. is over time going to build up on some surfaces be it in the carpet, ceiling tile, tops of cabinets, etc. It happens in your home, your office, your church, your grocery store, EVERYWHERE! There are also building products that are made of organic materials like the paper face on gypsum board. These conditions are a mold’s food source.

During a typical Kansas summer, air temperature goes up, the air is warmer and therefore it can hold more moisture, and during these months we are provided with warm, humid air that makes it here from the Gulf of Mexico. That is the warm temperatures and moisture that mold needs to grow.

So, what do mechanical systems, specifically cooling systems do in buildings? Well, depending on the system, they typically help lower the air temperature which lowers the air’s ability to hold moisture thus reducing the moisture in the air. That’s why your home air conditioning unit has that condensate drain that goes into your sump or somewhere outside. That condensate is the moisture that your mechanical system is removing from the air.

By shutting down the mechanical system in a building during summer months for whatever reason is like ringing the dinner bell for mold. “COME AND GET IT!!!!” The food is there, and by shutting down the system, you are providing the temperature and moisture it so desires! Not only that, there are a lot of interior building materials that may be damaged with high humidity like ceiling tile, wood doors, wood cabinets, wood gym floors, etc.

Now, we are not saying that you shouldn’t set the thermostat to a higher temperature than you normally would when school is in session, just don’t turn it up to a point where it never comes on and definitely DO NOT shut the system off!

By increasing the thermostat temperature to a reasonable level you will reduce some energy cost. However, if you raise it to a point that it never comes on or you shut down the system, there is an increased chance that you won’t save a dime! How so? Because any money that you save in energy is going to be used for hiring mold remediation contractor and more than likely, the energy savings will not cover the entire remediation cost. But how does any school district pay for even reduced utilities if there is no funding?

Wonder if any of the State Legislators, Governor, and/or the State Supreme Court has considered ANY of the potential ramifications of shutting down schools buildings? I THINK NOT! This shut down could be very costly for everyone!!!

Good luck, we have our fingers crossed that there will not be a shutdown! Have a wonderful and safe summer!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C

“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.

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!
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.
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.
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.
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

Using Toilets for Tornado Shelter Space

Sanitation facilities are required for community tornado shelters. After conducting several peer reviews over the past few months, I am seeing this trend in using required toilets as shelter space. To clarify, these restrooms have been single fixture restrooms intended to be utilized by one person at a time. That is ONE, not 10 or 11! Some designers are including these required restrooms in the shelter’s overall occupant load count.

Let’s consider an example. I have a 450 sf (gross) training room with (2) single fixture restrooms, each about 85 sf (gross) both of which are required by code to support the shelter occupants. The following would be the proper calculation for the occupant load:

Training Room – 450 x 65% Reduction Factor ÷ 5 sf/occupant = 58
Restrooms – 2 rooms x 0 occupants = 0
Total Occupant Load of the Shelter = 58

Here, the restrooms are designed for the use of occupants that are in the training room. This is the most conservative approach. One could include ONE occupant in each restroom on top of the 58 in the training thus a total of 60 occupants. The thought is a one for one trade from the training room to restrooms as individuals need to use the restroom.

Now here is a calculation that I see as a trend:

Training Room – 450 x 65% Reduction Factor ÷ 5 sf/occupant = 58
Restrooms – 2 x 85 x 65% Reduction Factor ÷ 5 sf/occupant rooms = 22
Total Occupant Load of the Shelter = 80

First of all, the reduction factor should be 50% for a restroom so it is a problem right from the get go. The fixtures and door swing take up a lot of the restroom space. So what happens when two people have to use the restroom? Two occupants go in, 22 come out. A net of 20 additional occupants now in the Training Room. THE TRAINING ROOM IS NOW TOO SMALL!!!! It just doesn’t work! If you need 80 occupants, then size the Training Room for a minimum of 78 or 80. If you have additional restrooms that are over and above the minimum, then one could consider loading it up with occupants; people that don’t mind standing in restroom with 7-8 (based on the example with a 50% reduction factor) what could be perfect strangers for 2 hours or more. That wouldn’t be for me!

I think this trend is to justify more occupants than necessary to justify more space that is funded by a government agency. In other words getting space paid for by that government agency that will never be used as shelter space. Here’s the sad part; those funds provided by government agencies are fixed and those “pots of gold” as some refer to it do run out. So therefore, when a building owner with the help of a designer takes more grant money than what they need, then another group, maybe kids in a school may not get a shelter because the funds have dried up. In the end, it could cost that particular designer another shelter project to boot!

It’s that simple!

Be careful out there!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C

Tornado Shelter Door Monitoring

In a previous blog we discussed the concept of keeping tornado shelter doors locked so the exterior hardware that could be hit by debris thus activating the latch and potentially allowing the door to be opened by the wind. The locking of these doors should be included in the shelter management plan.

But what about securing the doors from the inside? As humans, we all deal with stress in many different ways. Experiencing a direct hit by a tornado can be a highly stressful situation. Some people get mad, others crawl into a corner in a fetal position, and others feel they need to get away, the flight reaction. These are the people that can be a big problem for other shelter occupants. In many shelters, doors can be locked from the outside but those with panic devices remain unlocked from the interior. If someone has the flight reaction at the wrong time, they could head toward one of these doors at the exact wrong time and potentially put everyone in the shelter at risk

As humans, we are also very curious and when the preverbal “stuff” is hitting the fan, we have a tendency to want to watch, the old rubber necking when going by a vehicle accident. There is no place for opening shelter doors and/or protective devices in a shelter to see what is going on outside. These protective devices MUST stay closed especially when the storm is near. This is vital to the safety of everyone seeking refuge inside the designed safe room.

As a part of the management plan, people that deal with stress very well should be assigned a position at each exterior door to make sure that someone does not open the door(s) whether on purpose or by accident.

Be careful out there!

Written by Corey Schultz, AIA, LEED BD+C

Locking Tornado Shelter Doors

As a part of any tornado shelter management plan should be a requirement to lock all shelter doors before the storm hits. Let’s exam why is this important.

Some believe locking the shelter door is to keep out people that were not intended to be supported by a shelter. I guess that could be true in some circumstances. Others believe that locking the doors is intended to keep the door from being opened at the wrong time. This is true. One does not want to open any shelter door if it is susceptible to strong winds that could damage the door and keep it from operating when the storm strikes.

The other BIG reason to lock these doors that many designer’s and building owners miss is to keep debris from activating the exterior door hardware and unlatching the door which could cause it to open. Sounds pretty simple, right? What happens in public use shelters where the doors may be automatically unlocked by some sort of technology (which I believe is a disaster waiting to happen and will be discussed in a different blog), who locks those doors? The public that you are automatically letting into the shelter don’t have a key or if they did, they wouldn’t need it to automatically open.

Make sure all shelter doors are locked!!!

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.

The 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

Tornado Shelters – THANK YOU FEMA!

A few weeks ago I wrote about a tornado safe room/shelter door failure that cost an elderly lady in Arkansas her life. This was truly a tragedy. A tragedy that could’ve been avoided through education. FEMA took the initiative to produce an educational document for homeowners regarding tornado safe room/shelter doors. I think it is a really great document that is pretty simple to understand. If you are considering building a shelter or even buying one that is pre-manufactured, this is a must read. I have no doubt if the elderly lady in Arkansas had been aware of this information, she would still be alive today.

This document can be downloaded from the FEMA website at
http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/99139

For your convenience, I have also embedded the actual document here.

Read it, think about it, and heed the information. It may save your life or the life of a loved one someday.

Be careful out there!