The Regulations Related to Building a Storm Shelter
Section 423 (IBC) referring to ICC/NSSA 500: Storm Shelters Design and Construct standard is the subject of Storm Shelters buildings in Section 423. Every storm shelter company has to follow these rules.
The standard covers several subjects related to the construction of shelters, including:
Design and inspection of structures
Website needs
Floor area minimum per capita.
Egress
Security from fire
Ventilation
Sanitation
Lighting of emergencies
Testing
In accordance with ICC/NSSA 500 Section 202, storm shelters are categorized into two different parts:
Storm Shelter Community - Any tempest shelter not defined as a shelter for a residential tempest.
Storm Shelter Residential - The storm refuge is used by residential occupants and does not exceed 16 people with an occupant load.
The standard details the requirements for both types:
IC Class E occupancies holding 50 people or more, 911 call stations, emergency operations centres and fire, fire, rescue, ambulance, and police stations shall be provided with 500 compliant tempest refuges in accordance with IBC Section 423 for group E occupancies holding 250mph design windspeed zone, according to figure 304.2 (1). In the event that the designated storm shelter is a room or area normally used for other purposes (such as storage, office, congress room, etc.) then IBC codes (occupancy) still apply. IBC code requirements apply. In order to be a separate, specific facility protecting 50 or more people, the shelter must be classified as an A-3 occupancy. Separate facilities with fewer than 50 persons must have an IBC occupancy.
Storm shelters can be built with timber in the Type III, IV, or V buildings. Section 601.1 of ICC/NSSA 500 states that a minimum fire-resistance rating of 2 hours shall be applied to barriers of fire and horizontal assemblies, separating the spaces or areas designed like storm-refuges from other building areas and constructed in line with the relevant building code.
Wind and missile impact testing on wood-storm shelter designated for home/small enterprise uses both commodity lumbers and laminated wood (CLT) as the principal components for walls and roofs have already been completed by the U.S. Forest Products Lab (USFPL). Tests of different designs showed that ICC/NSSA 500 was complied with and wood proved an effective construction material for storm shelters. See the following resources for more information on the USFPL reports and information on the building of the shelter used for the testing.
Where to Go?
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