Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
(OP)
That place sounds like a coffin right now. Pray for those who are about to receive. May God help them all.
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RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
In addition - being within an urban setting, the wind speeds are knocked down from the weather service speeds which are taken at specific "clear" zones at a set height above the ground - so the real wind hitting the dome wouldn't be the 165 mph speeds that you hear bandied about on the news.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Note that the Category 5 is 135 knots which equals 155.5 mph. Note also that this speed is at about 1800 km above ground.
Wind Map of Katrina
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Look at Table G-1.
http://flo
Some spooky stuff in that table. What are we really designing for? Hope you sleep good tonight knowing your building are underdesigned.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
I know that in IVAN I was measuring sustained wind speeds in excess of 120 MPH for several minutes at 16 ft. The wind never dropped under 100 MPH for over 1 hour, that’s all I could measure because my anemometer went away. I was told, never checked, that this the standard height for a wind gauge.
The Superdome was designed and built when it wasn't surrounded by tall buildings. It was the highest thing around. There was some discussion during the construction of the Dome as to the actual design speed. I know we had to upgrade the plant site form 100 MPH to 135 MPH. Apparently 100 MPH was the accepted standard for many years.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
In Australia, we get some pretty severe Category 5 tropical cyclones on our mid- and north-west coast. Structures that have a special post-disaster function are designed for an ultimate limit state wind speed of up to 99m/s (221mph), based on an annual probability of exceedance of 1/2000.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Dik
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
How resistant is the structure to puncturing?
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
I've never designed a dome, but having visited a few I would still think that the dome would be a safer place to go than most structures. If it's like any of the ones I've seen it has huge concrete beams and columns inside, which I would think would be great things to take shelter under/beside in the event of a hurricane. But I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of the dome with just the roof over my head. I would think that would be the weakest link.
I'm curious to see how much damage it does sustain.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Lets also not forget about all of the redundancy of a building of this caliber. Obviously this structure has a specified lateral supporting system. But factor in all the other structural elements that aren't accounted for. Plus all the factors of safety and so forth. I've seen alot of unsafe structures (unsafe according to the building code) sustain substantial lateral loads.
Just my 2 cents.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Hurricane Katrina ripped two holes in the curved roof of the Louisisan Superdome, each about 15 to 20 feet long and 4 to 5 feet wide.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Superdome
It may not last long on the net but view it while you can.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
If you read the articles relating to the discussion, the problem they have is there isn't anywhere else that's any safer. Any place low will flood, and other buildings aren't designed for any higher wind speeds than the Superdome. Whether it's safe is immaterial, it's still safer than the alternative.
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
The superdome was built after Betsy and Camille, both worse storms than this one as measured by low pressure measurements, so I would imagine that it has a pretty stiff wind loading rating in its design.
rmw
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
Katrina punctures Superdome
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RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter
RE: Debate Over Superdome as Hurricane Shelter