As we enter into the second official month of the 2018 hurricane season, a few thoughts cross my mind.steel buildings hurricane zone

  • Are our previously installed metal buildings ready to take the brunt of hurricane force winds and storm driven rain?
  • Are our new, “untested”, buildings designed and built to withstand the prevailing winds?
  • Are our current projects going to be mid-build if and when a storm passes?  If so, what do we need to do to prepare beforehand?

Luckily, I sleep well at night knowing the answers to the above questions.

All of our buildings, past, current, and future, exceed the Bahamas Building Code requirements. For the past few years we’ve our buildings to IBC 2012, 180 mph, Exposure C, or greater.

Our steel building supplier, Star Building Systems, has extensive experience throughout the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and North America.  Their professional engineers and industry-leading design software verify our designs before manufacturing.  Our experience in permitting pre-engineered metal buildings through the Bahamas Ministry of Works ensures compliance with all local codes and permit requirements.

hurricane proof metal buildings

Our previous buildings have recently stood the tests of Hurricane Matthew (2016), Hurricane Irma (2017), and Hurricane Maria (2017).  We had minimal damage to these buildings, except for a few trim, gutter & downspouts pieces to be repaired.  We had zero damage to the contents of any of our buildings.

Our current projects are fully insured through General Contractors All-Risk Insurance, with hurricane coverage during the season.  We do this to protect our clients and ourselves.  We also have had to prepare for storms before, and know the procedures to tie down and secure our materials well in advance of an approaching storm.  We discuss and practice emergency procedures regularly, and discuss oncoming storms as soon as we can.

My advice to all persons who may be in the way of a hurricane is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  It never hurts to be overly prepared, and the faster you can get back to work the faster the project gets done.  With little down time to our clients, they are able to open and support the community as soon after a storm as possible.

Please contact us for an inspection of your existing steel building or roof!  We’ll check to see if any maintenance, repairs, or upgrades would help you sleep well at night in the tropical Caribbean, regardless of the weather!

Lee McCoy
President
TMC Engineering Ltd.