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According to the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) hurricane report published May 24, 2022, this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season is once again predicted to be above normal.

As the frequency and intensity of these storms grow more prevalent, the necessity for stronger building materials also increases. When selecting storefront, curtainwall, and entrances, architects consider daylighting, views, and energy efficiency for every project, but hurricane impact-resistant systems take design considerations to the next level. Protecting people is the first goal in designing building envelope systems. Apogee’s own brands have delivered solutions over the years for ensuring maximum protection.

Tubelite’s ForceFront Storm Framing and Entrances is a full line of tested framing systems designed to protect buildings and occupants from threats by windborne debris and rain. Entrance doors have a variety of sight lines, finishes, and glass configurations to meet the application and surrounding conditions. These doors can be incorporated into matching storefront and curtainwall products for a complete protective system.

ForceFront Storm products are designed to meet the Florida Building Code’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements. They are approved through the Florida Product Approval (FPA) and Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) review processes.

“These hurricane impact-resistant products are engineered to help protect building occupants and property from windborne projectiles and rainwater,” says Tim Fookes, Vice President, Product Engineering. “Verifying their performance, Inertek (formerly ATI) tests and approves our ForceFront Storm products to meet today’s industry standards.”

In 2020, Tubelite’s ForceFront Storm product was a Money Saving Products Winner from BUILDINGS Media.

In addition, Viracon offers hurricane resistant laminates to meet or exceed stringent building code requirements of Florida and other coastal regions. The laminated glass is a component of the overall glazing system and every Viracon hurricane resistant glass product has passed the impact and cyclic wind pressure test as part of a complete glazing system.

Viracon’s Hurricane-Resistant Glass options include SentryGlas^® Plus, StormGuard^™, Vanceva^™ Storm, HRG-2 and PVB laminated glass.

Harmon also has developed their HI7000 and HI9000 high performance hurricane curtain walls and other custom systems designed to withstand wind pressures and driving rain as well as the assault of flying debris commonly associated with hurricane force winds. This allows the building envelope to remain intact so damaging wind, rain, or wreckage from adjacent structures does not destroy the building or its contents.

Harmon’s system has passed the rigorous Miami-Dade County standards, utilizing a wide variety of laminated glazing infills in its standard 2-1/2" x 8-3/4" system under varying perimeter conditions. Over 25 configurations have been tested, so regardless of the structural conditions of the building, Harmon has a system solution. Harmon’s unitized pre-glazed system ensures product quality and system performance that has tested and passed design pressures of up to –140 psf.

A great example of this is the Miami Beach Convention Center project, an iconic building consisting of Harmon’s HI-9000 hurricane impact curtain wall system, designed and tested to meet Miami-Dade County hurricane codes.