Hurricane-proof House

[Kris Krieger]

Adam Weiss wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You're talking, in essence, about a simple distillation apparatus. Bacteria, parasites, and algae should be too large to be lifted by water vapor - if your plastic is hanging over an enclosed space with no or very little air movement, they should not be aerosolized.

I'm not sure about viruses. Polio virus can, if I remember correctly, survive in water but I don't know whether viruses could be lifted by water vapor. OTOH, I'd thought that distillation demineralizes water, and given the size of molecules, it also therefore ought to "de-virus" it as well.

Assuming that your plastic aheet and your collection vessel are clean, you ought to be OK.

[Robatoy]

Interesting angle. You'd get to change the design every so many years. I like the concept. Let the old one blow away. I guess it's all in how one looks at things, eh?

[Steve]

[Notan]

Have you ever seen a boat on the water, during a hurricane.

Apparently, not.

Notan

[Morris Dovey]

| A boat on a foundation. It would break away and float in the event | that the water got too high. Or one on pilings high enough to | withstand Katrina

You mean like one of those big casino boats?

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[JerryD(upstateNY)]

Four Hellraisers in 04, huh ? How did FEMA do it these ? What was the difference between Florida and NO ? Was it Jeb Bush VS Kathleen Babineaux Blanco ?

[nijhowne]

These are practical solutions from the standpoint of 'processing' human waste. However, if you are not in a floating house, & most of us fall into that category, & there happens to be a flood, then the only way to use these toilets is to take them 'up' with you to whatever higher elevation you think you might go as water rises. Ashoke - earth-friendly.products.bz

[Goedjn]

It makes it easier to figure out where to park the house, it keeps the house from sinking wandering around during normal weather, it keeps the wooden bits away from the wood-eating dirt, and it gives you a fixed point to which you can anchor your utilities.

--Goedjn

[Notan]

... and provides an attractive launching pad.

Notan

[Cherokee-Ltd]

"The length of the Ark shall be 300 cubits, the breadth of it 50 cubits, and the height of it 30 cubits. A window shall thou make to the Ark and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above." - God

[Goedjn]

Possible, but I'd think it would be easier, cheaper, and less of a shock to the local code inspector if you build a concrete cellar... no this is N'Orleans, so there is no cellar.. I'm still voting for a concrete perimeter foundation, 12" above grade, with a 24" sealed "barge" platform as the ground floor. that gives you a displacement of 2cuft per square-foot or area, which means a total building+occupancy weight of around 120psf.. so you're limited to heavy 1-story buildings, or light 2-story ones. When you outgrow the house, though, you can jack the whole thing up 10', and build a (floodable) ground floor underneath, on the existing footings.

[Cato]

Metric?

[Duane Bozarth]

I don't know, at least there was always a standard at hand (so to speak)... :)

[me]

has anyone had real world experience using one of the above?