47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

Shutters are typically a more economical approach for existingfacilities. There are a variety of shutter types, all illustrated byFigures 3-111 to 3-113. Accordion shutters are permanentlyattached to the wall (Figure 3-111). When a hurricane is forecast,the shutters are pulled together and latched into place. Panelshutters (Figure 3-112) are made of metal or polycarbonate. Whena hurricane is forecast, the shutters are taken from storage andinserted into metal tracks that are permanently mounted to thewall above and below the window frame. The panels are lockedinto the frame with wing nuts or clips. Track designs that havepermanently mounted studs for the nuts have been shown to bemore reliable than track designs using studs that slide into thetrack. A disadvantage of panel shutters is the need for storagespace. Roll-down shutters (Figure 3-113) can be motorized orpulled down manually. Figure 3-113 illustrates the benefits ofshuttering. Two of the unprotected window units experiencedglass breakage and the third window unit blew in.Figure 3-111:This school has accordionshutters. Hurricane Ivan(Florida, 2004)MAKING CRITICAL FACILITIES SAFE FROM High Wind3-139