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In tornado-prone areas, make it a part of building codes that all new-build domestic residences must have a bathroom constructed with concrete walls and ceiling of reinforced concrete at least 200mm thick.
After the foundations are laid, either the bathroom is delivered to site as precast sections,
or can be cast in place.
The window(s) will be provided with easily operable metal shutters; the door can be metal, or have a secondary cover. They will be made as inconspicuous as practical. The window functions as a secondary escape route.
There will be a battery-powered short range RF transponder that is activated by breaking a seal. This emits a signal which identifies the address and co-ordinates of the property to inform first responders that people may be trapped or require assistance.
The room should be big enough to accommodate the typical number of occupants of the house plus 50%.
The rest of the house can be of the usual sticks-and-cardboard construction.
In the event of a tornado warning, residents can retreat to the bathroom. They will have water and sanitation, and hopefully have enough wit to have a box containing a battery-powered radio, flashlights, and some food.
Since every new dwelling will have to have this, costs will be lowered by mass manufacture, and houses are generally considered to need bathrooms anyway*.
Grants could be offered for householders who elect to retrofit this facility.
Some lives might be saved.
*Except france, where hygiene standards are nonexistent.
<Later/>
Recent observations suggest that this idea can be Baked simply, quickly and cheaply by cutting a standard shipping container in half, welding in an end panel with a small window, cutting holes for services, and positioning it on the rafted concrete foundation before the house is then built around it.
Used shipping containers are widely available, and the facilities for transporting them are ubiquitous. There are even standard means of securing them to flat surfaces.
Hygene standards arouns the Western world
http://www.theatlan...ries-shower/385470/
[Voice, Nov 14 2016]
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Annotation:
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It's a lets-all, but it's such a good idea. Also the word "tornado" was used three times. [+] |
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Guilty as charged. But only in areas where it is actually needed. |
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It would be potentially useful against hurricanes, as long as there was no flooding. |
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From the title, I was expecting an idea for a
bathroom which used the cleansing power of tornadoes
instead of your normal morning shower. |
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That can be arranged too. |
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Ah yes, the [8th of 7] Uncertainty Principle. Are people banging on the door because they want to use the loo, or because there's a tornado ? |
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Either way, you're in a good place to charge them $20 to come in ... |
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You presented it as a let's all, but it actually a good* idea
and doesn't have to be a let's all to be successful*. Start
a company that mass produces prefabbed bathroom
modules or develop a cost effective system for inserting
rebar and concrete into existing wood framed walls. |
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I'm sure you could think of plenty of other reasons why
people would want this. For example:
- Reduced audible bathroom noises in the rest of the
house.
- Double use as a panic room. |
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* The bar for a "good" and "successful" on the HalfBakery
may be slightly lower than you might encounter when
attempting to attract venture capital... |
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.....@.........@........ @.........
<wind blows, bell rings in abandoned adobe church>
........@..........@ ............@.......... |
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Wait, [bigs] has beer? I'll be right over. Bloody hot here
today. |
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If this were in the basement, it could also be a bomb shelter. People used to worry about bombs. Maybe again. |
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If only people would stop throwing up these flimsy timber-framed shacks, and make the effort to use stone, this problem would be resolved. It takes more than tornado to knock down 4ft-thick granite walls. |
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Granite is a poor material for a bomb shelter: in the end you'll need a way to hold together your granite blocks, and that material, not the granite, determines the strength of your structure. Reinforced concrete is a lot less pretty but it can be set as a monolithic structure that's much stronger. Obviously this criticism doesn't apply if you're carving your granite bunker out of one solid piece of mountain. |
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Even then, though, I would want a softer, more resilient material on the outside. |
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And if you can afford a solid block of granite why not go with the tougher material: woven basalt and carbon fiber? |
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I live in Tornado Alley and it is seriously scary. I work at an
Alzheimer's facility, and last week we had two tornado's in
our area and had to take cover in our building. We have 21
residents and 3 staff. No basement. (Seriously architect...
what were you NOT thinking.). |
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Anyway, to accommodate that many folks, we have no
choice but to all huddle together in the spa, which is not
very large at all, and wait it out. Which we did, till the all
clear came. |
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The moral of this story is rather fuzzy to me right now, but
I just thought I'd share. At home we have a basement, but a
concrete bath would be excellent cause I hate the
basement, there are spiders there. Need say more? |
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End of story. Oh yeah...+++++ |
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+ a practical and sensible idea...
//The room should be big enough to accommodate the typical
number of occupants of the house plus 50%.//
This is in the event your midget plumber is over working on
the bathroom! |
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// architect... what were you NOT thinking // |
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"Never mind my bonus from the contractors, I'm going to design a quality building whatever the cost". |
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// The moral of this story is rather fuzzy to me right now, but I just thought I'd share. // |
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// there are spiders there // |
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We know, because we put them there, you unreconstructed recidivist of a cat lover .... MUHWHAHAHAHAHA ! |
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// unimpressed with waterboarding // |
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They think it's just a rather dull game, is why. |
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