Recent Tornadoes Cause Glass Industry to Rethink Building Practices

St. John's Hospital suffered severe devastation following the EF5 tornado that hit 

"People are calling me who are currently building hospitals and they want advice," says Dr. Ernst Kiesling, professor of civil engineering at Texas Tech University. The same holds true for nursing homes and schools.

"Thanks to the media there is awareness and those building these types of structures will rebuild differently," Kiesling adds.

Says Larry Tanner, research associate at Texas Tech's Wind Science & Engineering Research Center: "Building owners are looking for alternatives and opportunities are emerging. I am aware of a few glass producers who think their products will meet tornado criteria. These are encouraging signs."

Architects designing hospitals are keenly aware of the potential for hazard mitigation and says this is a positive sign for the rebuilding effort, Tanner says.

"If you design an improved building that will continue your firm down that track, though the client does have the last word," Tanner says. He traveled to Joplin as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT), and saw some of the damage to St. John's up close.

"That building lost so much glazing," Tanner says. "Many of the newer hospitals being built today have lots of glass."

So, what can be done differently to prevent less damage? Tanner says that laminated glass would improve upon structures but, "Using laminated glass on those structures would be very expensive."