StormPro™
Tornado Resistant Door and Frame Systems
The extra heavy duty StormPro® assemblies helps to fortify the opening to withstand extreme wind speeds and flying debris during a tornado. StormPro® doors and frame assemblies meet the requirements for fire protection, ICC 500 and FEMA guidelines.
Sustained winds of 130 mph to 250 mph are generally associated with tornados. Building owners in tornado-prone areas must take proper precautions to protect occupants. Damage can be caused by flying debris (referred to as windborne missiles). If wind speeds are high enough, missiles can be propelled at a building with enough force to penetrate windows, walls or the roof. An object such as a 2" x 4" wood stud weighing 15 pounds, when carried by a 250-mph wind, can have a horizontal speed of 100-mph. The resulting impact force will penetrate the most commonly used building materials.
- Beginning in 2002 the International Code Council and the National Storm Shelter Association started working to create the first Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, to be released as ICC 500 – 2008.
- ICC 500-2008 was first referenced in the 2009 IBC as the standard for use when people chose to construct a shelter in a public facility. The language remained in place for the 2012 edition of the IBC providing guidance for voluntary construction of shelters, but neither edition contained mandatory requirements for construction of shelters.
- The 2015 Edition of the International Building Code brought two significant changes, first being the adoption of the new edition of ICC 500, and secondly the mandatory requirements for shelter construction.
- ASSA ABLOY Tornado Resistant Assemblies are UL classified to the below standards and test methods
- ICC 500: The International Code Council (ICC) 500-2014 is a referenced standard in the 2015 International Building Code® (IBC) and the 2015 International Residential Code® (IRC). Buildings or spaces designated for use as a shelter from tornadoes and/or hurricanes within the scope of the IBC and IRC must conform to the requirements in ICC 500.
- FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business
- FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms
The NSSA is educating the public about the safety of storm shelter doors and advocating that shelter door manufacturers clearly identify a door that is intended for storm shelter application.
Importance of using certified tornado doors and frames video >>