Lowcountry, won’t be an issue. “Tere’s no timber used in the house, so there won’t be any struc- tural problems involving termites,” Hawes said. He added that, for obvious rea- sons, homeowner’s insurance costs will fall and insurance companies will be less likely to cancel policies that cover hurricane damage. “When the effect of a category 5 hurricane is seen on TV screens around the world, it will be com- forting to know that the solution is readily available,” Hawes said. “Te recent move by national insurance giants to simply remove hurricane insurance from existing clients tends to suggest that they, too, are aware of the huge losses they will undoubtedly face when a hurricane strikes. Te Cat Five treatment not only will prevent such cancella- tions, it will reduce existing premiums and be good for the insurance companies, mortgage facilitators and banks.” He pointed out that his building method, though ideal for expensive homes in areas such as Kiawah, can also be used to protect homes that aren’t in the seven-figure range. “We can adjust to fit a budget,” he said. He added that the same technology that will prevent his home from being destroyed by a hurricane also could be used in areas devastated by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. He said permanent homes can be con- structed quickly – a small team can put
up a frame in one day – to house people displaced by hurricanes, tornados and other disasters such as earthquakes.
Charleston hasn’t been seri- ously shaken since 1886, when an earthquake caused $6 million in damage – in late 19th century dollars – and took as many as 110 lives. Te quake is estimated to have been between 6.6 and 7.3 on the Richter scale. A typical Cat Five home would have safely resisted this earthquake, according to Associate Professor Dr. Timothy W. Mays, a professional engineer who teaches at Te Citadel. “We calculate precisely how a
Cat Five home would fail and why,” Mays explained. “We say a certain
mechanism would have to happen for it to collapse. Te aluminum frame is extremely light and ex- tremely strong. For earthquakes, being light is what we want.” Hawes built and lived in a house made of steel in his native England in the 1980s, but he didn’t patent the process. He’s been in business in the Lowcountry since the begin- ning of 2000, when he established Rapid Deployable Systems in North Charleston and started using aluminum and vinyl to build temporary structures that create a completely controlled environment for the Navy and other government and private entities. His method is patented in all counties that have signed the Patent Cooperation Treaty.
RDS’ efforts allow
the Navy to work in a controlled environment to complete tasks such as laying non-skid surfaces on the decks of aircraft carriers and painting ships. The company also has played a role in building Boeing’s
Cat Five Houses of Charleston offers a wide array of solutions, ranging from a simple external framework bolted into an existing timber structure, which has minimal intrusion, to a total rework, complete with internal support beams. For more information, visit
www.catfivehouses.com
massive Dreamliner facility in North Charleston, constructing a building within a building so the aerospace giant could lay a thick concrete floor that otherwise might be prone to expanding and contracting. For now, though,
Hawes simply wants to show Lowcountry residents that they don’t necessarily have to run away from hurricanes. “Tis is just me
trying to prove a point, that we could build a house that wouldn’t blow over,” he commented.
MillionDollarRealtors.com |
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