DuPont Launches Test Facility for Next Generation Storm Protection
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DuPont today opened its first storm shelter testing
center at its Chestnut Run site here. The multi-million dollar facility
will allow the company to test different materials for its DuPont™
StormRoom™ with Kevlar®. DuPont also will use the site to develop new
technologies that will further help protect people and property during
dangerous storms.
Historically, April kicks off tornado season
in the United States, but already this year weve seen the incredible
destruction these storms can cause, including a hit on a major urban
area, Atlanta, which dispels the myth that tornadoes dont target big
cities, said Thomas F. Schuler, vice president and general manager --
DuPont Building Innovations. This test facility, our first at a DuPont
site, will allow us to test new materials for storm protection and to
make the StormRoom™ stronger and more cost-effective for consumers and
building owners.
Yesterday DuPont announced an agreement with
national builder Epcon Communities to offer the DuPont™ StormRoom™ with
Kevlar® to its 138 builder franchisees C the first agreement to offer a
storm shelter nationally.
DuPont estimates that 90 percent of
its patent-pending storm shelters are now in use in rural and suburban
communities, with 10 percent installed in cities. Initially, sales for
the StormRoom™ with Kevlar® were focused on Tornado Alley, the eight
states where most tornadoes strike during the year. DuPont has found,
however, that many other parts of the United States, including coastal
areas where hurricanes and other wind-based storms can wreak havoc,
need the safety and security provided by the StormRoom™. DuPont has
seen a 300 percent increase in sales in states outside Tornado Alley.
The
DuPont™ StormRoom™, the only storm shelter with the strength of DuPont™
Kevlar®, provides protection from tornadoes and hurricanes. Flying
debris continues to be the No. 1 cause of injury in severe storms and
can turn branches into deadly projectiles. Tornadoes can provide
consistent winds up to 250 miles per hour (mph) C much higher than some
hurricanes. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), most of the country is exposed to winds that can range from 130
mph to 250 mph.
According to DuPont research, consumers are
increasingly focused on home safety and the need for functionality in a
storm shelter. The DuPont™ StormRoom™ allows for electricity and
plumbing installation, as well as cell phone and radio reception, so
its occupants can monitor news and weather information. When not in
use, the StormRoom™ can double as an extra room, storage space or
powder room, providing year-round utility.
The DuPont™
StormRoom™ with Kevlar® is the only shelter that can be installed in
existing as well as new homes, above ground or in basements, and is
completely transportable using authorized installers. It is designed to
withstand the impact of a 2' x 4' timber propelled at 100 mph C the
speed at which the timber would travel in the strongest tornado, which
generates wind gusts of up to 250 mph. The StormRoom™ also is
crush-resistant and engineered to support a uniformly distributed
weight of more than 70,000 pounds, the weight of a fully loaded tractor
trailer. Based on DuPont comparison data, the company believes the
StormRoom™ to be the strongest and most durable of all the storm
shelters available today.
DuPont manufactures and markets multiple products for residential and commercial construction that provide high-performance
weather and climate protection for buildings and their occupants, and
sustainable energy management systems. In addition to the DuPont™
StormRoom™ with Kevlar®, these products include: DuPont™ SentryGlas®;
DuPont™ Corian® and Zodiaq® solid surfaces and Granite Certified by
DuPont™; DuPont™ RoofLiner with Elvaloy®; DuPont™ Tyvek® Weather
Barrier Systems including Tyvek® AtticWrap™, the first breathable
roofing membrane to create an airtight attic, and Tyvek® ThermaWrap™,
which helps reduce energy costs and increase comfort by improving the
reflection of radiant energy in wall systems. DuPont also manufactures
Tyvek® Weatherization Systems, including DuPont™ Tyvek® Commercial
Wrap™ and DuPont™ Tyvek® DrainWrap™.
The StormRoom™ with Kevlar®
is offered by DuPont Building Innovations, one of five business units
in the DuPont Safety & Protection segment. The other businesses are
DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems, DuPont Nonwovens, DuPont Chemical
Solutions Enterprise and DuPont Safety Resources. The segment provides
innovative products and services that protect people, buildings,
critical processes and the environment. In 2007, the segments revenues
totaled $5.6 billion.
DuPont is a science company. Founded in
1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions
essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.
Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of
innovative products and services for markets including agriculture,
nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and
construction, transportation and apparel.