There’s almost no part of the country that isn’t susceptible to high winds. At the moment, winds are causing nightmare scenarios with wildfire in California. The East Coast and the Gulf Coast, of course, are prone to hurricanes, and the Midwest experiences tornadoes and other high-wind events. For farms, worksites and other properties that require outbuildings such as pole barns, wind can damage these buildings as they’re often not built to withstand extreme storms. (If you’re not sure how wind prone the area you live is, you can check with the American Society of Civil Engineers and its ASCE 7 exposure categories: B, C, and D.)

Depending on the nature of the storm, wind can cause tilting, overturning or uplift (the suction that results when the wind moves parallel to the roof) in some modular outbuildings. For customers who choose pole barns on their property, it’s essential that the structures are both designed and sited properly to remain resistant to wind damage. Proper design of pole barns can help them withstand damage from high wind events such as tornados and hurricanes.

Extra Steps to Combat Wind

While standard stick-frame construction to connect walls at the foundation may seem like a good cost-saving measure, imagine what can happen in a storm: it’s a much weaker connection than deep-seated posts in your pole barn. An ideal wind-resistant pole barn should drill holes deep enough for columns and anchors. The holes should be at least four feet deep, or deeper in your area gets extremely strong winds. In addition, post-frame construction can connect the roof trusses directly to these posts, which eliminates another potential weak link in construction. If stick-frame walls are compromised, their trusses are vulnerable as they are connected to the wall plates. Construction in areas prone to high winds should also include high-gauge screws or bolts instead of nails to prevent roof loss due to uplift.

CHA Pole Barns Helps You Reduce Wind Risk

When you choose a professional company to design and build your pole barn, you can ensure you’re building to the proper standards and codes for your region and weather.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based CHA Pole Barns has been serving Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia for many years. To learn about how they can help you design the right pole barn for you, visit their web site for an online quote or call 717-687-6673.