In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, South Florida faced extensive property loss and the immediate challenge of rebuilding damaged structures and designing new buildings to withstand hurricane force winds. With growing public and insurance industry concern, government officials realized they needed to review existing building codes. Even though South Florida codes were already among the most stringent in the nation, weather patterns in the area created the need for serious revisions.

Preserving the building envelope - not allowing weather to penetrate or enter is a critical first line of defense in preventing severe damage throughout a structure.

Hurricane Andrew focused particular attention on the need for storm proofing windows and doors. Existing building codes required glazing to be wind resistant only, which did not address the problem of wind borne debris and its role in breaching the integrity of the building of subsequent damage from water.

Today, state and local building codes are being strengthened to require windows and doors (or their coverings) to better withstand windblown debris as well as the positive and negative pressure of gale force winds.

Newly designed shutters are one solution to the challenge of stormproofing windows. In fact, many shutter systems that meet today’s tougher South Florida building codes are now available. However, most shutter systems present more disadvantages than advantages such as:

* shutters meeting the revised code are thicker, heavier, and can be more difficult to install
* it is difficult to get help installing them in the hours when a storm is approaching
* shuttering alerts burglars that a residence may be unoccupied
* failing to shutter before leaving town leaves a structure at risk from unexpected storms
* removable shutters require substantial storage space

Field applied window film is another potential solution to storm proofing windows, however this alternative has proven to be ineffective and often unsightly and is unlikely strong enough to pass the rigorous tests required under the New South Florida building codes.

For ongoing protection without the disadvantage of storage, security and installation, Lamiver offers through qualified and approved residential and commercial window fabricators a complete laminated glass package that meets the approval of the new Florida Building Code effective January 2002.





Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida in August 1992 and still ranks among the most destructive and costly natural disasters in the U.S.history. A growing awareness and demand for new coastal area building products that address the concern of high winds, wind-borne debris and the damage they cause has emerged from a disaster that developed from an uncontrollable natural event.
The severe and complex nature of hurricane-force winds presents special problems for protecting a building. Under normal circumstances, a building is designed to allow wind to flow over the structure. During a hurricane, a fully intact building envelope, or “outer skin”, allows wind to flow at, over and past the structure without damage. Preserving the envelope of the building is one of the most important steps in preserving the integrity of the structure and ensuring non-destructive wind flow during hurricane-force winds.

During a hurricane, intense positive pressure is created on a structure as the wind impacts the building (windward face). As the wind flows over or around a structure it can cause “lift” on the roof or “suction” on the opposite side (leeward face). This “suction” is normally referred to as negative pressure. Negative pressure is always higher than the positive pressure acting upon a buildng during hurricane conditions. If the building envelope is breached, wind also enters the building, thereby causing a dramatic increase in internal pressure. This internal pressure, summed with the external pressure, can effectively double the force acting to lift the roof and push the walls outward.

One of the most susceptible components of the building envelope is a glazed opening. Glazing that is designed to accept the impact from wind-borne debris without evacuating the opening and causing a breach in the building envelope is desirable.



Storms producing high winds encircle the globe. The term “tropical cyclone” is a generic name for a low-pressure system that is non-frontal and occurs over tropical and sub-tropical waters. These storms are typically associated with thunder storm activity and have a fairly cyclonic pattern of wind circulation. The terms “hurricane” and “typhoon” are the regional names given to tropical cyclones.

When the winds reach 119 kph (74 mph), the storm is considered a hurricane in the North Atlantic and eastern parts of the north and south Pacific Oceans (a typhoon in the northwest Pacific Ocean).
Because of our regional media interest, we are most aware of hurricanes in the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, as well as the Caribbean. Hurricanes are capable of producing sustained winds of 193 kph (120 mph) or more. When a hurricane passes a building, the winds become turbulent and change direction. During the often-long duration of a storm, loose objects and damaged buildings add to wind- borne debris, which can impact windows and doors.


Sustained hurricane-force winds can last for several hours; gusting, turbulent winds repeatedly buffet a building; and as a hurricane passes, winds slowly change direction, altering the direction of pressure being exerted on the building. During the sustained and high speed winds of a hurricane, debris can be lifted from its at-rest position and become an airborne missile or wind-borne debris.

Preservation of glazed openings and therefore the integrity of the building envelope is made difficult by the presence of wind-borne debris. In a hurricane, wind-borne debris can become a damaging missile. Large missiles, such as roof shingles and other construction materials, are common at heights up to 9 m (30 ft.) above grade; smaller missiles, such as roof gravel, are most prevalent at heights above 9 m (30 ft.). Following the impact from one of these missiles, building materials need to maintain the building envelope as they continue to be subjected to sustained and gusting winds until the hurricane passes.


Hurricanes will occur; wind-borne debris will be present; and the result is an un-controllable natural event. To prevent a hurricane from turning into a disaster, people and buildings need to be protected. To protect a building during a hurricane, the building envelope must be maintained. To prevent the building envelope from being compromised, windows and doors, typically the weakest link in a building’s envelope, must be safeguarded from penetration by wind-borne debris, and they must also remain in place throughout the remainder of the storm.


Lamiver High Performance Glass can be designed to handle the damaging impact from wind-borne debris and remain in the opening during cyclical wind loading. In the past, temporary or permanently attached shutters were used to protect residential and commercial buildings in hurricane prone areas. Not all shuttered systems are capable of enduring impact and continuing to provide protection to the opening.

Lamiver High Performance Glass in properly designed windows and doors, eliminates the need for shuttered systems because the glass will stay intact even if cracked.






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