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Friday, December 21, 2007

Commercial Buildings and Hurricanes


Take a close look at the picture above. Which of these two objects would be most likely to blow away or cause projectiles during a hurricane?

The air conditioner in the background weighs 600 pounds. It has a center of gravity near the middle and low to the ground. It sits on a curb that is fastened to the roof and is wrapped by the hooked-shaped frame of the air conditioner.

The satellite dish weighs about 100 pounds and sits on a framework that is temporarily held down by another 200 pounds of bricks. Does it look more like a sled, a sail or a catapult?
You are probably asking yourself, "why is the 600-pound object securely fastened to the roof while the wind-catching dish is only held down by six bricks?"

The Florida building code regulates the installation of central air (both residential and commercial) is strictly regulated in the building code for safety and hurricanes.

The installation of satellite dishes is not covered by the building code. This should not prevent the responsible home or business owner from demanding that their satellite contractor secure the dish to withstand 120 miles-per-hour winds..

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