EIGHT-
PENNY
NEWS VOLUME 11 • NUMBER 2 NOVEMBER 1992
If ever the skies dealt the
construction industry a mixed
blessing, Hurricane Andrew
was it. Replacing and
repairing the buildings
destroyed by this most
expensive of U.S. natural
disasters is expected to
revitalize Florida's anemic
construction economy.
Critics, however, say the
storm has graphically exposed
the building industry's
shortcomings.
Poor, substandard
construction was responsible
for most of the $20 billion in
damages caused by Hurricane
Andrew, according to
engineers and inspectors from
the Wind Engineering
Research Council (WERC),
who inspected both failed and
sound buildings in the
hurricane's aftermath. Both
WERC and other engineers
concluded that homes built to
code generally withstood the
hurricane's 120 mph winds.
One engineer reportedly said
that the code-complying
houses probably could have
resisted winds of up to 200
mph.
This