N1cky

I've just read 'tornados hit a given location once in 5,000 years on average' that seems remote to me

Sally Redux

Oh yes, no question about that. But the adobe construction is large slabs of mud used in low buildings. My post was more a rumination on traditional v. modern approaches to housing.

kimilseung

Luckily I do not live there, so I am ignorant; but I had assumed that a tornado does a lot of damage to a competitively small area. So while it might be common for one to hit your area, you would still be unlucky for it to hit your house.

Jerseygirl

That may be so but to me it makes sense to build houses of more robust materials if you live in an area prone to tornadoes.

I understand that houses made of wood are preferable to those of brick in some areas. I'm talking about houses built in areas where a brick house would remain standing when bad weather hits vs a wooden house which is blown away.

N1cky

Interesting little article, saying the most tornado proof house's are made of styrofoam bricks with concrete poured inside. I remember seeing this method used on Grand Designs, but can't imagine why, it obviously wasn't to survive tornados.

http://www.technewsdaily.com/rebuild...s-needed-2725/

Lots of these areas are extremely poor, and any roof over their heads is an advantage, what its made of doesn't really come into consideration.

Sally Redux

Yes that's interesting. Cost is the major factor.

I don't think many houses even in the UK are built with brick now. At most they will have a brick facing.

Scouse Express

Here's a list of all known Tornadoes, that have struck North America. Joplin has been struck on previous occasions, according to the Mayor & City Manager.....and they're not 5,000 years old;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...nado_outbreaks


Jim.

Jerseygirl

I admit I have lost touch with how new houses are built in the UK. Are homes no longer made of a layer of brick and another layer of breeze block? Are you saying they are made of timber because not that many years ago you couldn't get a mortgage or insurance for a timber framed house?

Sally Redux

I was thinking they're not built like my 1920s house was, out of proper brick courses. But I think you're right, they're often breezeblock with a brick facing. Timber framed houses are also more common now, though. My brother had one and my friend I'm going to stay with in the summer does. I didn't hear they have any problems with mortgage or insurance.

Bob

Depending on location and what the local natural disasters are, sometimes one makes more sense than the other.

Timber tends to be cheaper though and pretty good for earthquake zones, not so great for wind zones, where it's the seal of the house that's important, roof or window goes and a vacuum effect can crush a flexible house in.

Much better building tech these days than just wood though, places like Japan have invested in the stuff more, because they suffer it more frequently, but also because they tend to rebuild houses on a fairly regular basis to get them up to code.

sir_eccles

I used to watch Grand Designs all the time. I was convinced that the host (can't remember his name) was having an affair with the female half of all the home builders because they always seemed to end up pregnant.

Sally Redux

I fancied him

Had to google his name though - Kevin McCloud.

N1cky

I love that show, watched the latest series recently whuch was mainly revisited ones.

Oregon4now

I vividly recall both the Leonis & Reyes adobe homes had sustained significant damage during several past earthquakes several times the walls had to be rebuilt, I was not aware that there where any more adobe homes in that area other then the two I had mentioned, I am pretty sure there are only 3-4 left in all of L.A , so I don't know where you are getting " The Traditional adobe construction of this area " , Yeah they keep cool in summertime, but do not stand a chance against earthquakes, so much for local conditions !
During a class project many moons ago we went to the Leonis Rancho and packed mud/straw into cracks and also made bricks with the same materials.

another bloody yank

I agree that in an F1-F2 tornado brick will probably still be standing even if the roof is gone. F3 probably depends on the proximity to the worst of the wind but F4 or F5 it just doesn't matter. Anything but poured concrete will sustain severe damage or worse.

This is a very interesting link (Really, it's worth a look) containing the history and pictures of the aftermath of the St. Louis, MO tornado of 1896. At that time, St. Louis was built pimarily out of brick. Two older (Built in 1915 and 1926) St. Louis homes I've lived in had solid brick walls with the inside of the exterior walls covered with plaster. I'm sure the construction of the buildings shown in the link was similar. The 1896 tornado was rated F4 at maximum wind velocity.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/count...clone/1896.htm

Here are a couple examples taken from the link.