Destructive and powerful natural acts are known a “nature’s fury,” and they range from blizzards and avalanches to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hail, tornadoes, and hurricanes. While there is no way to prevent these disasters from happening, scientists are always working hard to better understand them, in order to predict disasters. This data can not only make evacuation efforts more successful, but allow construction crews to make buildings more resistant to storms and other trauma. Along the American east coast, for example, hurricanes strike every year, so impact resistant sliding glass doors, as well as hurricane proof doors and hurricane proof windows, are a must. Of course, there is no way to evacuate a building along with the citizens living there, so impact resistant sliding glass doors are essential for reducing property damage and saving the lives of anyone who might be inside. High impact windows and high impact doors can be bought wholesale from glass manufacturers in Florida and beyond.
Hurricanes and Their Power
Even a smaller hurricane is quite powerful, and such a storm will boast strong winds, rain, flood waters, and even hail and flying debris. Meteorologists are carefully studying and tracking hurricanes every year, to better determine when and where they will form. Overall, statistics show that in the 20th century, a total of 158 different hurricanes struck the American coast, and the state of Florida alone was hit with 57 hurricanes. Texas’ coast in the Gulf of Mexico was hit with another 26. Among these hurricanes was Hurricane Andrew, which struck Miami back in 1992. This category 5 hurricane was very powerful, and it demonstrated how hurricanes are capable of creating tornadoes while over land. This hurricane in particular spawned 62 different tornadoes during its lifetime.
Now, statistics suggest that the 21st century is seeing more and stronger hurricanes than ever, and it is likely that this trend is linked to climate change and a warming of the world’s oceans. Evidence of this includes the fact that in 2017, 10 different tropical storms in a row developed into hurricanes, a feat that has not been seen since 1893. And Hurricane Irma, which also formed in 2017, stands as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record so far. This enormous storm boasted seven trillion watts of energy, and had 185 MPH winds for 37 hours. Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean, and a storm of this caliber may very well form again sometime. So, construction crews are working hard to stay one step ahead.
Impact Resistant Sliding Glass Doors
While levees and elevated foundations can help deal with rising flood waters during a hurricane or storm, something must be done about strong winds and wind-blown debris, too. A building’s windows and glass doors are a vulnerability during a hurricane, as they may easily shatter from, air pressure differences or from being struck by flying debris. But it is not an option to simply omit these features, so buildings in hurricane-prone areas use specialized, impact resistant sliding glass doors. Usually, it is construction crews who place orders for such supplies, and use them when building hotels and apartments, condos, office buildings, and the like. Such structures have hundreds of windows, all of which must endure a hurricane’s wrath.
These tough windows and glass doors have strong frames, not to mention a specialized glaze system that lends them their necessary endurance. A glass panel with a glaze system rated at +105/-130, for example, can withstand hurricane force winds over 100 MPH, and some pieces of flying debris may bounce right off them. A broken window will allow glass shards to fly everywhere, and strong winds and rain water will get into the building and wreak havoc. But not if the windows and sliding glass doors can endure, and keep the wind and rain out. And someone who purchases a commercial building in Miami can inspect all the windows and doors and see if they are up to standard. If not, the owner can call upon contractors who can install new, tougher hurricane resistant windows and doors. This can be a smart investment that will protect the property and save money whenever a hurricane or other storm arrives.
