Does Putting Tornado Shelter in Garage Floor Compromise Slab? (Dallas: mobile home, college)

[serger]

Originally Posted by Rakin

Yep, They also had one in Iraan about 20 years ago that sucked up the asphalt off the streets.

And the Biggie was back about 1979 that almost wiped out all of Wichita Falls.

F4 & 5's do happen just not very often. So far the biggest one here in the last 40 years has been FW back about 2000 that hit that bank building.

They do happen just very rare.

True.
However it is pretty easy to get killed in EF3-2. And sometimes even in EF1 if you get unlucky.

[Dad0118]

I would be more worried about house crumbling down from tearing into your foundation than a tornado plowing through it.

[octo]

Can't they re-tighten the tendons if they have to cut them?

http://www.concreteconstruction.net/...ut-it-out.aspx

[serger]

Originally Posted by Dad0118

I would be more worried about house crumbling down from tearing into your foundation than a tornado plowing through it.

Well, I'm not fond of cutting the slab either, even in the garage, especially considering all the foundation problems around here.
Most of this could be solved by sturdy construction but unfortunately wood frame and sturdy are mutually exclusive, at least in my book.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by octo

Can't they re-tighten the tendons if they have to cut them?

Cut It Out - Concrete Construction Page 1 of 2

As long as the tendons are accessible and in good shape then yes. First they have to locate the ends of the cable(s) and repair it. Then they need to tension them. It is in no way a cheap repair effort.

[#1soonerfan]

Originally Posted by TGentry

We are considering installing a tornado shelter in the ground below the garage floor slab. They will remove a section of the concrete and install it below ground.

Someone told me that this will compromise the post-tension support (or what-ever it is) of the slab. I mentioned that to one installation company rep, and he hemmed and hawed and finally said the way they do it, the slab will be fine.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

TGentry do what you gotta do. I lived in OKC for the longest, and several friends and family members have cellars cut in their garages. They have the same issues with soils and foundations up there and most new-ish homes have post tension slab foundations; a normal sized cellar would require a small hole cut, not enough to cause any sort of issues. If I am not mistaken, you may need a concrete company to do something with the tension wires before or during the installation, but it is not a big deal. The price you quoted seems rather high; I know people who got them installed for 4K or less.

I actually wasn't going to respond here, but I am reading through these posts and literally cringing at what some people are saying. Really bad info from some posters on here.

DFW is not at the highest risk of storms, but it is definitely in the second tier risk zone, right along with places like Joplin MO. I knew someone who was a first responder in Joplin from Tulsa when the F5 hit in 2011. Long story short, it nearly gave him PTSD in dealing with so many gruesome, horrible injuries and deaths (as in decapitations, impailments, etc.). There was little to no adequate storm protection there, even though most houses had basements. The most concerning thing is, given DFW's population density, a high end F3 tornado (several of which have struck this area) placed right could do a lot of damage.

This isn't meant to scare anyone, but IMO I would never slam someone for preparing for a threat that is much more serious than a lot of people think. Especially living in a rural area, where access to decent shelter may be more of an issue.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by serger

Well, I'm not fond of cutting the slab either, even in the garage, especially considering all the foundation problems around here.
Most of this could be solved by sturdy construction but unfortunately wood frame and sturdy are mutually exclusive, at least in my book.

What framing method do you prefer?


The Japanese build mid-rise residential towers, 4-7 stories, with conventional wood stick frames often.

[loves2read]

We were at softball tourney for our daughter in Everman when the 2000 tornado came through FTW--and rode it out sitting in a Dairly Queen hoping the metal roof over the parking spaces wouldn't pull off and slice through the glass windows...
no way could we have gotten home to our bunker under the garage if we had had one...

there is NO guarantee that anyone will be able to actually USE one of those suckers when the time comes...that is the issue for me...it is crap shoot as to when they might come...
even if at night, there are plenty of stories about people who had no warning prior to one roaring through at 2AM...

people had them built into the prairie when they were on the farm because law of averages said they would be home---but now in today's world...you are likely safer being in a concrete reinforced office building if you can get to the stairwell...or being in basement of Ranger Stadium...which is where my husband was a couple of times when bad weather threatened in past few years...

worse place to be definitely on the freeway trying to get home to your storm shelter...

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by #1soonerfan

TGentry do what you gotta do. I lived in OKC for the longest, and several friends and family members have cellars cut in their garages. They have the same issues with soils and foundations up there and most new-ish homes have post tension slab foundations; a normal sized cellar would require a small hole cut, not enough to cause any sort of issues. If I am not mistaken, you may need a concrete company to do something with the tension wires before or during the installation, but it is not a big deal. The price you quoted seems rather high; I know people who got them installed for 4K or less.

I actually wasn't going to respond here, but I am reading through these posts and literally cringing at what some people are saying. Really bad info from some posters on here.

DFW is not at the highest risk of storms, but it is definitely in the second tier risk zone, right along with places like Joplin MO. I knew someone who was a first responder in Joplin from Tulsa when the F5 hit in 2011. Long story short, it nearly gave him PTSD in dealing with so many gruesome, horrible injuries and deaths (as in decapitations, impailments, etc.). There was little to no adequate storm protection there, even though most houses had basements. The most concerning thing is, given DFW's population density, a high end F3 tornado (several of which have struck this area) placed right could do a lot of damage.

This isn't meant to scare anyone, but IMO I would never slam someone for preparing for a threat that is much more serious than a lot of people think. Especially living in a rural area, where access to decent shelter may be more of an issue.

The soils in/around OKC are a dream compared to Dallas. It's just not reasonable to compare foundation problems between OKC and DFW.

[ChristieP]

I rode out the downtown Fort Worth tornado in the stairwell of Burnett Plaza. I guess that $6000 tornado shelter wouldn't have helped me.

Statistically speaking, it's just SO unlikely that you're going to be hit by a large tornado in DFW. Except for Granbury, Lancaster and other towns just south of I20, big storms are just too rare here to justify the expense IMHO.