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When it comes to the safety of students and faculty, schools can no longer afford to overlook storm shelters as an essential component in their buildings. With the increase in natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes, educational facilities must protect their communities while also meeting evolving building codes and tight budgets. The question becomes how can schools include storm shelters in a cost-effective manner without compromising safety or functionality? In this blog we’ll explore why storm shelters are essential, the challenges schools may face in building them and practical solutions school districts can use during construction to deliver student safety. Why do we need storm shelters in schools? Extreme weather is on the rise with a growing number of tornadoes and hurricanes impacting regions across North America. Considering the risks, the International Building Code (IBC) now mandates schools in ICC 500 high-speed wind zones and with occupancy levels over 50 people to include storm shelters built to ICC 500 standards. Even for school districts outside of these areas, constructing a safe room or storm shelter future proofs your building and provides protection for students and staff. These added security measures can even enable your school to serve as a community storm [...]

Dave Marrs, co-host of HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous, is not just a television personality but also an accomplished homebuilder with over 20 years in the residential construction industry. In a recent Roofers Coffee Shop podcast, Dave spoke about his experiences building houses in Arkansas using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and his newfound passion for the technology. Take a listen for yourself or read on to uncover Dave’s advice to contractors who are new to building with ICFs like he once was. How ICFs Revolutionize Homebuilding Insulated Concrete Forms are two panels of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam connected together with a web system, reinforced with rebar, and then filled with concrete to create a structurally solid and highly insulated wall. Compared to traditional wood-frame construction, ICFs provide continuous insulation that maximizes thermal efficiency and reduces heating and cooling costs for the owner. For Dave, the appeal of ICFs lies in their ability to deliver “sustainability without sacrifice”. In addition to being eco-friendly, building with ICFs improves a structure’s fireproofing, sound dampening and resistance to high winds and debris impact. This disaster protection was critical for Dave’s projects in Arkansas, where they’re seeing an increase in tornado activity. Therefore, he says that contractors should view ICFs as a unique opportunity [...]

Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturing Association invites you to join us at CCE 2026! Pre-register by January 30, 2026 @ 11:59 PM with our VIP code and enjoy complimentary trade show admission. Save $60 and skip the on-site registration lines. Use VIP Code CCE3960 for FREE trade show admission