SKOKIE, Ill.—With the increasing demand for high-wind resistant homes, more builders are looking for resources on the best practices for constructing the strongest home possible. While other material industries are trying to develop guidelines, builders who choose concrete systems need to look no further than the current International Residential Code (IRC) for the information they need.

“Builders don’t need to wait for the development of special user friendly guides or to obtain additional manuals for high-wind resistant concrete construction,” said Steve Szoke, director of codes and standards for Portland Cement Association. “The prescriptive requirements for many concrete homes are already in the body of the IRC.”

In the 2006 IRC, prescriptive provisions for light-framed (wood or steel) construction apply to hurricane-prone regions where the basic wind speed is less than 100 mph and in other areas where the basic wind speed is less than 110 mph. In order to design buildings of light-framed construction in the higher wind areas beyond the scope of the IRC, standards referenced in the code are required. However, no special publications or resources are required for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses constructed using concrete exterior walls as long as the homes meet the parameters contained in the IRC. This includes walls constructed using insulating concrete forms (ICF) and conventionally formed concrete.

The parameters are:

• Maximum building height is two stories, plus basement.
• Maximum unsupported wall height within a story is 10 feet.
• Maximum plan dimension is 60 feet.
• Floors spans are not greater than 32 feet.
• Roofs spans are not greater than 40 feet.
• Maximum wind speed is 150 mph.
• For some building types in certain seismic categories, the code forbids irregularities.

American Concrete Institute Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318) has provisions for buildings or sections of buildings that are not within these parameters. Masonry construction provisions are available in the Southern Building Code Congress International Standard for Hurricane Resistant Residential Construction (SSTD 10), a reference standard in the IRC.

“Building with concrete, especially in hurricane-prone areas, makes more sense now than ever,” said Szoke. “With guidelines already in place, builders can save time and money while delivery a high quality home that will last and resist damage from high winds and flooding.”

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs.

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