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iknow
Premium Member
join:2012-03-25

iknow to robbin

Premium Member

to robbin

Re: Tornados & House Structure Question..

said by robbin:

Do you have anything to back that up? I would question that poured concrete is at all cheap. Cinder block is residential type construction and many contractors know how to do it. Poured concrete walls require a lot form work and is definately commercial work. I would imagine that tilt wall is even cheaper than actual poured walls.

A couple of other things since I haven't posted in this thread. The earlier posted pic of the cinder block foundation failure is just that. That was a foundation to create a crawl space, nothing more. Those were not cinder block walls. The way you make cinder block walls strong is to pour a concrete header. Not just fill them but put a reinforced beam on top. Very strong.

if you go to all that effort by a skilled mason, just laying the brick, then filling it up with concrete, you're using the same amount of concrete, with a poured wall, you just need a form, and pour the concrete in!. the expense of paying a mason is gone!. and the form is either plywood or the new forms out for the purpose, with insulation and rebar built in.

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

I'm not criticizing block versus concrete. But if it were up to me, Reinforced concrete like bomb shelter/bunker is way to go.

Reinforced block wall is stronger than wood/laminate structure.
Reinforced concrete wall is stronger than block wall.
Cement block is strong than cinder block.
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co ··· nry_unit

Block walls (aka Cinder block or cement block-there is a difference between the two) even if filled cavities, are typically filled with grout, not concrete.
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete

Block walls are cheap way to build a foundation or wall. Today, preformed molds from foam/styrene that can be left for insulation values, are common for poured foundations. It's all about cost savings. Since the sheer and load on most single story isn't that much, a block foundation (crawlspace) may be sufficient. But if you want something tornado proof, I would check with a structural engineer.
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re ··· concrete
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebar
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In ··· ete_form

It's not the wind but what is in the wind that also causes the damage (aka projectiles/missiles). And they say its a myth to open your windows to allow pressure equalization. Opening a window means things will fly in.