Hurricane Precautions for Rubb Structures

The 2007 hurricane season is upon us here in eastern North America. During a hurricane, wind forces, especially with the presence of tornados, can likely exceed building code design requirements. However, in our experience, proper precautions will assist the ability of a structure to endure hurricane force winds. Damage in hurricane situations can also result from flying debris, unsecured doors on the building, etc. If your company owns a Rubb building that may be in the path of a hurricane event, the following are some suggestions for securing your structure in order to minimize potential for damage:

• Close all doors to the Rubb Building. This applies to large equipment or hangar doors as well as smaller personnel doors.
• Affix any loose or flapping PVC cladding. If you have small tears in the PVC membrane, they should be patched with a PVC Repair Kit to strengthen the area around the tear and prevent flapping in the wind, which can lead to additional tearing. Cut a radius at the end of the tear to spread out the tension in the fabric and prevent the tear from spreading.
• Check base tensioning of the PVC. The PVC tensioners around the base of the structure should be applying even tension on the covering. Any loose tensioners along the sides should be tightened. Caution: overtightening the gable ends may pull the fabric off.
• Secure debris in the area. Although a hurricane can carry windborne debris for miles, you can minimize damage to the PVC membrane by securing any loose items on your site that could blow into the building and start a tear in the fabric.
• Make sure foundation is anchored. Smaller shelters (such as our THA range) are not designed for heavy loads, although they have proven to hold up well in high winds. Check that the proper number of anchor spikes or bolts is being used to hold down the foundation. If needed, secure the frame of the shelter to ballast to help hold it in place.

In the event that you do need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-289-7822 as we are prepared to help.