The Spiral® Hurricane Zone (HZ) is the first, and only, high-speed, high- performance door certified to withstand category-four hurricane force winds.

After Hurricane Andrew, Florida appointed a commission to develop a statewide building code for homes and businesses. The Florida Building Code is the result. 24 product categories are covered in 3,000 pages of code, including doors and door systems. The Florida Building Code is a legacy of Hurricane Andrew, which caused about $30 billion in property damage in southern Florida in 1992. Before Andrew, the response to storm damage was to clear away the debris and build again. After Andrew’s 145 mph winds leveled Homestead and other cities in its path, taxpayers and the insurance industry questioned the practice of “just build again.” As a result, the country’s toughest building codes were adopted in southern Florida. While it has a contemporary and polished appearance, the “extreme” industrial door can handle wind forces in excess of 149 miles per hour. Wind tunnel laboratory testing simulated high wind conditions and high pressure environments; cannon projectile impact testing at an independent lab certified the door was in compliance with the requirements of the Florida Building Code.

With an opening speed of up to 60 inches per second, the Spiral® HZ is fast. Two photo eyes open the door when a person or object enters its closing path. A reversing edge reverses the direction of the door if it contacts an object. The door is ideal for exterior doorways with moderate to heavy motorized traffic. Rigid, aluminum slats with reinforced hinges combined with the galvanized steel side columns offer security and the strength to handle a hurricane.

Building code officials, architects, builders and insurers are increasingly aware of the need for structures to withstand high winds resulting from hurricanes, tropical storms and other weather events.

For more information on the selection and specifications of the Spiral® Hurricane Zone door or other high-speed doors, contact Rytec Corporation, One Cedar Parkway, Jackson, WI 53037-0403. Toll free 888-467-9832.