June 7, 2012

statesman.com - Darwish: Upgrade construction standards for safety

The images have become all too familiar: houses and communities turned into piles of giant toothpicks by fierce tornadoes. Much of this kind of damage can be prevented by enacting stronger building standards.

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Research at Texas Tech University and elsewhere has shown that only masonry or reinforced concrete walls can protect against lethal flying debris that might be encountered during a tornado with wind speeds up to 130 mph.