Project Hurricane 225
“Time after time, home after home, Deltec hurricane-resistant homes are left standing with no structural damage.”
– Steve Linton, president, Deltec Homes
Deltec Homes is the world leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of hurricane-resistant residential structures.
In 54 years of constructing homes internationally, engineers at Deltec have refined their design for buildings to withstand winds up to 185 mph, that of the strongest Category-5 hurricanes. The aerodynamic shape of the homes prevents wind from building up enough pressure on any side, avoiding a structural failure. The reinforced roof is at an optimal pitch to deflect the winds and reduce any possible lift. The circular structure allows for 30 percent less pressure building up outside, as opposed to one with more of a rectangular shape.
On the inside, the homes also are built with strength in mind. The roof and floors are built with a radial truss array that works like spokes on a bicycle wheel. Any potential energy from sustained high winds disperses throughout the entire structure, instead of building up in a single area. The design is lightweight, but able to withstand severe force.
From the outside, Deltec’s flagship 360 degree round homes are structured with more natural, organic shapes that make the homes not just naturally more energy efficient but also protect far better from the most extreme weather. From the inside, their walls of windows and indoor/outdoor spaces/decks capture breathtaking panoramic views.
The Future Hurricane-Resistant Home: The Deltec 225
Throughout the course of time, numerous hurricanes have grabbed the national headlines with unimaginable pictures of homes torn to the ground.
The images of destruction left by Hurricane Katrina, Michael and Dorian to name a few will never be forgotten. As the worldwide leader in building innovation and technology, Deltec Homes is on a mission to build an even stronger home for extreme weather. This mission is called Project Hurricane 225.
Q&A with Matt Oblinsky PE, Director of Engineering for Deltec Homes
How is Deltec Homes approaching the next generation of hurricane-resistant homes?
Currently, a Deltec hurricane-resistant home can withstand winds of 185 mph. Committed to remaining on the cutting edge of innovation, it is critical for us to think about the future as we build an even stronger and safer hurricane-resistant home. Within the next year, our goal is to engineer a home that can survive winds of 225 mph – this will certainly be a major achievement. This will apply to a 1,500 square foot custom built home.
As part of Deltec’s 225 Project, we are looking to bring all these advancements and research under one hurricane-resistant home design. This new “home of the future” will incorporate the latest wind-resistant building components, such as impact-resistant windows capable of resisting flying debris impact and high wind pressures, structural hardware capable of providing a continuous load path to transfer forces from the roof to the foundation, and higher strength building materials.
There has been a great deal of work done on hurricane-resistant design by organizations such as the IBHS (Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety) and FEMA. Deltec is leveraging these, as well as proprietary findings and recommendations, to create “The Hurricane-Resistant Home of the Future.”
What does the Hurricane 225 home mean from an engineering perspective?
From an engineering perspective, we are analyzing every connection from the roof peak down to the foundation. When dealing with wind pressures of this magnitude, every connection is critical to the performance of the home, as small as the nail attaching the plywood to the roof and as large as the anchorage to the foundation system.
All these connections must be designed and capable of transferring the forces down through the home into the ground. Additionally, we are examining the building envelope, or “skin of the home,” to ensure there are no weak spots for wind or water intrusion. Not only is it critical to protect the home from wind damage, but we also want to protect the home from water as well.
As engineers, we analyze the entire system and connections. Is it built high enough above the flood elevation? Will the siding stay on the house? Is the roof secured to the walls? All these conditions play a role in the success of the home.
When will this new Hurricane 225 home be available?
It is expected to be introduced in 2023. In the meantime, Deltec continues to build the most durable hurricane-resistant homes around the world.
Why is the Deltec Home round?
One of the main advantages of the Deltec Home is the shape. We are known for our 360-degree design. The aerodynamic polygonal “round” design helps divert winds around the home, reducing the pressure acting on the home. The shape reduces this pressure up to 30%.
As part of Project Hurricane 225, we are currently exploring sophisticated wind tunnel modeling. In addition to wind modeling, we are also creating a more accurate computer structural model to analyze how the forces are being transferred through the round home.
Deltec Homes have stood against some of the most devastating storms in history, including direct and destructive hits from Hurricanes Dorian, Michael, Irma, Katrina, and many more. Can you explain this impressive record?
Deltec Homes are designed to withstand nature’s ultimate test. For more than 54 years, Deltec Homes have engineered thousands and thousands of hurricane-resistant homes around the world with an emphasis on strong connections that help make homes especially resistant to fierce storms.
The success is primarily due to three core features: shape, material excellence and precision engineering. The aerodynamic shape helps deflect winds around the home, helping reduce the forces acting on the home and reducing areas of high-pressure concentration.
In addition to this, the round design also helps transfer forces throughout the home more evenly, distributing the forces efficiently to the ground. Also, the radial truss systems, roof and floor, mimic spokes on a wheel. This also allows the forces to be distributed evenly throughout the structure, again reducing areas of high force concentration.
Deltec Homes is committed to using the best materials available. Our structural lumber is a machine stress rated (MSR) southern yellow pine, which has approximately twice the strength of commonly used structural lumber. Machine stress rated means every board is tested and the material has the properties we demand, the structural plywood is a 5/8” thick and is installed throughout our exterior shell that provides the walls and roof decks with a higher structural capacity than typical construction.
The last key element is precision engineering: We make sure that each Deltec home is designed and built from the ground up. Deltec uses connections that will stand up to the high forces that come with seismic and high wind events, such as our roof truss tie-down hardware that can resist over two times the typical truss connection.
Our precise structural design ensures hurricane-driven forces have a continuous path from the top of the roof down through the structure and into the ground.