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Safe Homes & Emergency Shelters
Some homes are safer than others. This isn’t an accident; it’s a product of good design and better execution. One is not effective
without the other. It is very common to have a great design with lots of structural consideration and detail just to have a failure
to execute in the field. The result is a false sense of security in an inferior building. Likewise, one may have a poor structural
design that is executed perfectly by the builder, but the result is still an inferior building.
Some areas have more stringent building codes than others and the U.S., in general, has much better building standards than most other parts of the world, but we still have catastrophic failures. One must realize that building codes are a minimum standard and are not the ultimate answer to producing a safe home. Added to this is the fact that we cannot depend on code enforcement officers to catch every infringement before signing off on the permit. They are at the building site for a very limited amount of time and its unrealistic to expect them to be privy to all the intimate details of the project. The fact is that at the time of inspections, the goal of the builder is usually to just get it passed and there is no coordinated effort between builder and inspector to produce a safer home.
Some areas have more stringent building codes than others and the U.S., in general, has much better building standards than most other parts of the world, but we still have catastrophic failures. One must realize that building codes are a minimum standard and are not the ultimate answer to producing a safe home. Added to this is the fact that we cannot depend on code enforcement officers to catch every infringement before signing off on the permit. They are at the building site for a very limited amount of time and its unrealistic to expect them to be privy to all the intimate details of the project. The fact is that at the time of inspections, the goal of the builder is usually to just get it passed and there is no coordinated effort between builder and inspector to produce a safer home.
Here’s how Spire CM can help you build a safe home?
- A safe home starts with a good design that is tailor made for your area. Not just code compliant but a design
that takes into consideration the forces and potential natural disasters in your area. In general, you can expect to see more structural
steel like moment frames in your design, along with enhanced footings, uplift mediation, strapping, positive connection hardware and
fire retardant materials. In order to be safer, your home may also require manufactured sheer panel hardware and careful selection
of sheet products. Of course, it is not feasible to make your home completely hazard proof, but it is certainly possible to give you
the best possible chance in the event of a disaster. Spire CM can help define your safe home requirements and work closely with your
Architect and Structural Engineer to see that the features are designed into the home.
- Your design must be executed without
flaw. Spire CM can provide onsite monitoring to ensure that the builder is plan compliant and that there is a high degree of quality
in the building process. The Spire staff will also draw on decades of experience to identify additional upgrades in the building process
as the project progresses. Some of these are as simple as adding additional framing in certain locations or requiring tighter framing
than is required by code while others could be more significant.
- Spire CM can help you identify the safest places to be in your home, based on the type of threat. These “safe areas” can be incorporated into your design and hardened during the building process. There’s a lot of flawed information and misconceptions about the safest place to be during an earthquake, tornado, flood, etc. Spire can help you sort it out and map your home for the safest place to be in any given scenario.
Emergency Shelters
Not since the height of the cold war have emergency shelters been so popular. Companies are converting old missile silos and/or building large underground facilities that are designed for selling space for you and your family in the event of a nuclear attack or mass civil unrest. The cost for space in these facilities ranges from $30,000 to several million dollars per person. This may work for some people, especially if they live nearby or have ample warning to get to the facility in the event of an emergency. Even the U.S. government is building and stocking new facilities to ensure the survival of the human race and continuity of the government but are you prepared to survive?
Spire CM can design a shelter that’s incorporated into your home, so you are always prepared to retreat to the safety of a hardened shelter that can protect you from extreme weather, civil unrest and even nuclear fallout.
Spire CM can design a shelter that’s incorporated into your home, so you are always prepared to retreat to the safety of a hardened shelter that can protect you from extreme weather, civil unrest and even nuclear fallout.
Here’s some of the features:
- Luxury areas that can be disguised and are useable in non-emergency times.
- Comfortable living areas with
LED windows and 3d terrarium walls to offset the feeling of being confined.
- Multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry facilities and full
kitchen.
- Entertainment and exercise areas and equipment.
- Thick concrete walls, ceilings and earth protection that can shield you from
unwanted invaders, sever weather and nuclear fallout.
- Vault doors for added security.
- Air filtration systems and off the grid power
with backup systems.
- Secured, uninterrupted water source.
- Secured fuel storage.
- Ample storage spaces.
- Security systems and monitoring
equipment so you know what’s happening in the outside world.
- Armory and strategic defensive features if desired.
Spire can even
provide full stocking of supplies and training.
Maine General Contractor, Professional Construction
Management Services, Owner's Representation & Design
Maine and Hawaii (808) 634-6959
Management Services, Owner's Representation & Design
Maine and Hawaii (808) 634-6959