Seismic/Hurricane Certification for Air Handlers

When the IBC was adopted by Washington State, it brought in some new requirements in air handler construction and certification. These new rules required that for some projects, non-structural building components had to be shown to withstand, and in some cases operate after, a catastrophic seismic event. The intent of these rules was to provide critical facilities (first responders, hospitals, etc.) with systems that would likely survive an earthquake that would cause widespread damage elsewhere.

Likewise, Dade County Florida has created requirements for hurricane resistance for various building components, including rooftop Air Handlers. Rooftop Air Handlers must pass a rigorous series of tests to show compliance, including pressurizing a test section of the cabinet to over 30" of static and firing a 2x4 at the cabinet to simulate hurricane-blown debris!

Climate Craft has been a leader in the industry in showing compliance with both of these standards. They were one of the first manufacturers to show compliance with the Dade County requirements, as these videos from the testing attest:

Missile Testing

Cyclic Pressure Testing
Pressures up to 30" wg cause deformations of the cabinet well-beyond normal operation

Showing compliance to the IBC seismic regulations is a bit more complicated, since the code does not accept testing on a sample unit, and each individual air handler must show compliance as constructed. This means that the designer must take into consideration the site's seismic hazard, the soil conditions at the site, the unit's location within the building and the unit design itself before a determination can be made whether or not the air handler meets the code. Climate Craft has published a white paper discussing the complexities of this process:



In both cases, Climate Craft benefits greatly from its industry-leading cabinet design with doubly-reinforced standing seam joints:



Climate Craft's superior cabinet design ensures a superior performance on site.