In hurricane-prone zones, building planners face unique safety challenges when ensuring that structures built for these areas can withstand severe, sustained wind and water forces and storm debris. Responsible, innovative manufacturers work with a trusted, approved third-party laboratory like ICC NTA, and they rely on the expertise of the International Code Council Family of Solutions to ensure their products will remain safe even under the extreme conditions of hurricanes and severe tropical storms. These manufacturers and their customers find it essential that their building products demonstrate code compliance for use in high-velocity hurricane zones (HVHZ), such as Miami-Dade County in Florida.
ICC NTA laboratories are accredited to the ISO 17025 standard, which ensures that you and your customers can rely on the validity of our results. Our team also understands how important test results are for your business goals and objectives — all our team members work together with you to efficiently conduct tests and prepare the test reports you need. We conduct various types of hurricane testing, including but not limited to:
- Air infiltration
- Cyclic wind pressure
- Hurricane testing on doors, curtain walls, windows, shutters
- Miami-Dade impact and non-impact testing
- Missile impact
- Uniform load
- Water infiltration
As part of the International Code Council Family of Solutions, we work directly with ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (ICC-ES) to create tailored test plans that capture specialized requirements for innovative products, such as those found in the ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria. Test plans help ensure your innovative product has a clear path through the certification process with agreement from all participants.
Missile Impact “Hurricane” Video
Watch this demonstration of the test for performance of exterior windows, curtain walls, doors, and impact-protective systems when impacted by a missile and exposed to cyclic pressure differentials.