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For years we have all seen the destruction to homes caused by hurricanes, and more often, by tornadoes.
As a kid, I always wondered why houses couldn't be constructed a lot like a giant elevator, that would go down underground before an impending disaster, and raise after a storm is over.
Certainly not all houses, but those in storm prone areas.
The first questions would be, what about the fixed plumbing, and electricity?
Those could be made to flex and extend when needed.
Next some would ask, what about rigid concrete foundations?
They crack when there is movement.
Simple, build houses out of materials that can flex with movement.
There isn't a bridge or overpass in the country that doesn't have flexibility in it's construction.
They expand in heat, and contract in cold.
Ever see those zippers on freeway overpasses?
They are there for flexible movement.
I really think houses could be made flexible as well.
I saw something the other night about an underground condo community being built somewhere.
Unlike my plan, this condo community will be permanently underground, all twenty stories of it.
Think how great it would be to be able to push a button and lower your house out of the path of a tornado, then reverse it and raise the house when the danger is over.
Some people say I have way to much time on my hands, but I see nothing wrong with creative thinking.
Bob.
Think of the cost though. When stick built houses cost what they do now, imagine what a subdivision of houses like that would cost. The upside is that the ones that could afford them, might never come out of the ground again, i.e. politicians and vile celebrity types.
The scary part is many tornado prone areas dont even have basements.
Storm-prone areas are also flood-prone. That would be another problem to have to deal with.
I always wonder why we don't have paper houses, like the Japanese used to have due to the likelihood that an earthquake would destroy them. I wonder why the Japanese don't still have them.
Flexible, yeah! My DH from England used to complain about how creaky and 'shabby' the architecture in SoCal seemed, compared to the solid places in England. Then I explained that the buildings here are made deliberately flexible so that they don't collapse in earthquakes and kill the people inside.
The first questions would be, what about the fixed plumbing, and electricity?
I think the first question is what about the cost. You'd need some kind of steel frame structure to act as the foundation and then either hydraulics or enormous mechanical gears to make it go up and down...... $$$. There is reason large machines that can lift heavy loads are expensive.
It's the same thing even for other measure you may take, there is point where the cost becomes too great. There was an engineer discussing corrosion resistance on cars and he stated he could make a car nearly 100% resistant to corrosion but it would be pointless if no one could afford it. You have to have a balance.
Quote:
There isn't a bridge or overpass in the country that doesn't have flexibility in it's construction.
As I heard another engineer on show once say "If the bridge isn't moving it's time to get off the bridge." In addition to the cold/warm cycle they also need flexibility for different weight loads, wind etc.
Probably shouldn't go down; maybe up. Build a house on pontoons and connect it to steel rails at the four corners. During non-flood periods, hide the pontoons with a foundation skirt and hang flags on the rails. When the flood comes, gather up the skirt and the house floats up the rails. When the flood recedes the house slides back down the rails.
There would be problems with utility supply, waste disposal, and landing level after a flood.
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