Design criteria for public cyclone shelters

Dr Peter Mullins
Mullins Consulting
Brisbane

TC Yasi
2nd Feb 2011

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Evacuation

• Storm tide inundation

Harvey Bay Storm Tide

Model

• Vulnerable houses

Tully Yeppoon
TC Yasi Feb 2011 TC Marcia Feb 2015

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Shelter options

• Leave

• Shelter in modern home

• Shelter in public buildings

Innisfail Cairns
TC Yasi Feb 2011 TC Yasi 2011

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Existing public buildings

Innisfail SHS
TC Larry 2006

Tully Senior Citizen Hall Innisfail SHS

TC Yasi Feb 2011 TC Larry 2006

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Purpose built cyclone shelters

Redlynch SC

Proserpine SS

Tully SS
Innisfail SHS

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Design criteria

• Siting
• Design actions
• Building elements
• Access, occupancy and egress
• Fire safety
• Health and amenity
• Ancillary provisions
• Design and construction assurance

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Siting

• Storm tide hazard (1:10,000 storm tide)

• River and creek flood (Q500)
• Landslip hazard (risk to life VL, to property L or VL)
• Proximal hazards (buildings, trees, hazardous materials)
• Vehicle and pedestrian corridors (accessible to community)
• Limited use helicopter landing site (eg. sports oval)

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Storm tide hazard

Above the evacuation zone for the 1 in 10,000 storm tide

Uncertainty in cyclone track – location and time – increases evacuation zone.

Greater length of coast is evacuated due to uncertainty of landfall.
Forecast storm tide is based upon the highest tide of the day

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Design actions

• Wind speed
• Wind borne debris
• Permanent and imposed
• Earthquake
• Wave and flood flow (applicable to lower levels of a shelter on
a sloping site with access to ground beyond the evacuation zone and
flood inundation)

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Wind speed

Annual probability of exceedance of 1 in 10,000.

Probability at a single location.

Probability increases with number of locations.

Australian Standards Wind Code (AS1170.2)

Region C: V10,000 = 306 km/hr
Region D: V10,000 = 392 km/hr

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Wind borne debris

100x50 timber member of 4kg mass impacting at

• 0.4V10,000 horizontal trajectory (Region C 122km/hr; Region D 157km/hr)
• 0.1V10,000 vertical trajectory (Region C 31km/hr; Region D 39km/hr)
Load B: 8mm diameter steel balls impacting at
• 0.4V10,000 horizontal trajectory (Region C 122km/hr; Region D 157km/hr)
• 0.3V10,000 vertical trajectory (Region C 92km/hr; Region D 118km/hr)

Innisfail SHS Kurrimine Beach

TC Larry 2006 TC Larry 2006

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Wind borne debris – Tests

solid core door 50mm plywood door steel clad door

4kg impacting at 122 km/hr

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

Wind borne debris – Tests
Wind borne debris – Tests

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Building elements

• Roof
• External walls & doors
• Debris screens, windows and louvers
• Internal ceilings, partitions and doors
• Site drainage
• Element certification and testing

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Roof

• Design to resist wind and wind borne debris

• Roof slope < 15 degrees to avoid horizontal trajectory debris missile.
• Screw fixed.
• Design building shape to reduce wind pressures.
• Drain roof water Q500

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Debris screens – Windows and louvers

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Internal ceilings partitions and doors
Suspended ceiling
hanger rods do not
resist positive
internal pressure.
X

Construct ceiling and internal partitions to resist internal

wind pressures.

Install ventilation grills in doors and hatches in ceilings to

reduce differential internal pressures.

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Access, occupancy and egress

• Location and building signage

• Access and safe movement
• People with disabilities
• Occupancy
• Occupancy duration
• Egress- Alternative building
solution

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Location and building signage

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Occupancy

Design capacity based upon:

• 1 person per 1.2 m2 of shelter floor area
• 50 people per toilet

Design occupancy period:

• Total occupancy period 36 hrs
• A lockdown period of 18 hrs

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Shelter area

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Egress

Alternative Building Solution

required for each shelter

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Fire safety

• Fire resistance and stability

• Compartmentation and separation
• Smoke detection and alarm system
• Fire hose reels
• Automatic fire suppression system
• Fire extinguishers

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Compartmentation and separation

Main electrical switchboard, emergency power switchboard,

diesel generator, emergency lighting batteries and
uninterrupted power supply to be smoke and fire separated
from the shelter space with fire resistance levels (FRL) of
120/120/120.

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Fire hose reels and Fire extinguishers

Fire hose reels to be located Additional fire extinguishers

inside the building within the shelter

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Health and amenity

• Ventilation
• Water and weather proofing
• Lighting
• Power distribution
• Lightning protection
• Emergency power
• Toilets and shower amenities
• Stored water supply
• Waste water

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Ventilation

Naturally ventilated during lockdown when the wind gust are

gale force or greater (100 km/hr gusts)

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Ventilation
Manual louver and
damper controls
Venturi duct extraction to toilets
Natural ventilation ducts with
baffles, wall and ceiling fans

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Ventilation, water and weatherproofing

Baffles on inside of louvers

Roller shutters on outside of louvers
Two stage louvers with plenum for natural ventilation
Sarking to roof

Construct

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Emergency power

Generator + Battery backup – 24hrs lighting

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Ancillary provisions

• Communications
• Seating and emergency bedding
• Kitchen
• Shelter office
• Emergency first aid
• Chair store

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Seating and emergency bedding

Yeppoon Cyclone Shelter – TC Marcia Feb 2015

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Design and construction assurance

• Buildings normal use

• NCC (incl Building Code of Australia)

• Cyclone shelter use

• Cyclone shelter design guidelines

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Other guidelines

Mitigating the adverse impacts of cyclones:

Evacuation and shelter
Disaster Management Act 2003 Guideline

Queensland Public Cyclone Shelters

Maintenance Guidelines
Disaster Management Act 2003 Guideline

Queensland Public Cyclone Shelters

Operations Guidelines
Disaster Management Act 2003 Guideline

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015

 Thank you

Construct

EHA – WA Conference, Sept 2015