Tornado proof house. I'll huff and I'll puff and .....

[Antiquarian]

With the recent rash of tornado's striking the mid-section of the the US and the Ungodly 500+ that hit in may...I was wondering if there is anything such as a tornado proof above ground house?

I'd think it would have to be built with a concrete/steel frame, solid foundation set firmly in the ground and the completely enclosed i.e. the roof would need to be some sort of concrete/steel as well. I saw something kind of like a concrete cube this morning, but I do not have a cite. It was used in someones house and it saved the families lives.

So can a house be made to be tornado proof?

[Paul in Qatar]

I am no expert, but several of my firends are (architects and weathermen). The subject once came up over beers.

The concensus was that it is impossible to build a house to survive a direct hit by a tornado. (I admit that some sort of bunker could survive and you could live in some sort of bunker, but that is not what we mean here.)

Hurricane-proof house are perfectly do-able, but the force of a tornado is many times that of a hurricane (albeit on a much smaller scale).

I presume more educated members will be along shortly.

[Skillet38]

Tornado proof ? no, but I've always been intrigued by Geodesic Dome Homes. They've not really caught on in the part of the States where I live, but the OP reminded me of my interest and the first Google hit I found

http://www.domehomes.com/

touted there homes as being "stronger and safer homes , and have proven to withstand tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes far better than ordinary, conventional box homes."

there is a link to some very interesting photos of domes that suffered tornadic hits or near-hits.

[Zebra]

You couldn't do the whole house unless you left out the windows. The tornado safe room is available in new homes and can be retrofitted into existing ones as well. Basically a closet has steel reinforced concrete walls and celing. The rebar must go down into the foundation of the home.

[lieu]

My guess would be that you could build a structure that would survive a hit but the very eleements it would require would also pretty much keep it from being a conventional house. Thick, steel reinforced walls and roof, little to no window space, etc. It's going to be unaesthetic, difficult to heat and cool, not very cheery. Maybe they can use it in that Terminex commercial.

[Phlosphr]

Oh I don't know lieu why can't it be cheery? Just because you have a concrete and steel house doesn't mean you can't put siding on it and make it look nice. A roof even! Make it out of conventional mean...wood.

Rationale. You are protecting the people inside it. Windows, siding, stuff like that can be replaced. People can't. Why not make a house to look completely normal, only the frame and supports are solid concrete and rebar? Who cares if the roof blows off, you can put another one of those on. Windows? So what they blow out. The bars on the window will keep anything from flyng out...TV, piano, etc...etc... right?

[Skillet38]

what about pointed sticks ?

[lieu]

only the frame and supports are solid concrete and rebar

I was thinking you'd need some steel in the walls after seeing the show on TDC where they fire a 2x4 into various mediums at 100 mph. A steel reinforced wall with a brick exterior was the only one that prevented entry and even then an F5 can host winds of 300 mph.

I'd want more than bars on the window. I'd prefer windows that can't break because I wouldn't want them picking things up around the house and turning them into projectiles.

I'm sure there are many ways to sturdy up a house but it just seems like it would take some real skill to make one indestructable and comfortably livable.

[Sock Munkey]

These houses fit all the desireable criteria in the previous posts.

http://www.monolithicdome.com/

[drachillix]

Originally posted by Sock Munkey
These houses fit all the desireable criteria in the previous posts.

http://www.monolithicdome.com/

From Sock Munkeys link

http://www.monolithic.com/plan_desig...ive/index.html

looks like it breaks down all the math pretty well.

Even they do concede however

However, debris carried by a tornado could cut the surface membrane. If the debris contained a large timber or metal object, it might be possible if conditions were just right to put a puncture into the dome.

[t-bonham@scc.net]

I suspect that part of the reason geodesic domes are more resistant to tornados is because they are round -- no flat sides or straight edges. Possibly the same reason that I've seen (here in the Midwest) farmhouses & barns demolished, but the round silo's still standing.

And the posts about tornado-proof houses? Square concrete & steel, deeply attached to the ground, no windows, etc.? We have them all over here in the midwest -- they're called basements. And they are indeed handy in case of such storms!

[Mr. Blue Sky]

You could have a window in a concrete/steel wall if you had some sort of sliding metal cover to go over it. Kinda like a pocket door.