Introduction
The stringent code requirements of Florida and other
coastal regions require that the building envelope be
maintained during a hurricane. All elements of the
building shell must resist the effects of windborne debris
as well as sustained turbulent winds lasting several
hours. Extensive research, following Hurricane Andrew
in 1992, showed that a breech of the envelope led to
internal pressurization of the building. This effectively
doubled the forces on major structural elements such
as walls and roofs, leading to catastrophic failure.
Oldcastle Glass® offers hurricane-resistant products
that answer these problems.
