A ferry ride across Hong Kong’s harbour in the early stages of a typhoon caused Doug Hart, chairman, Hart Industrial Doors, to pause – just what sort of technology would be needed to create a secure, protective, shutter that could withstand the full impact of a typhoon he asked himself writes Chris Dobson.
Research shows that typhoons and their sister storm, the hurricane could generate wind well in excess of 100 mph, enough at sustained levels to break any known shutter system.
“The issues when faced with such violence is to secure buildings and potential weak areas such as loading bays and other access points. We were dealing with exceptional weather up to the super typhoon level. The power would break a standard shutter system,” says Mr Hart.
Encouraged by Hart’s Hong Kong partner, Hart’s team re-worked on its existing Terror Screen, which is a large and heavy security shutter that offers protection for up to 20 minutes against cutting, drilling, crowbars and axes due to its exceptional robustness, to create Hart’s typhoon shutter, many of which are now in service.
The development of this super shutter is timely given climate change and the likelihood of increasing storms. Indeed the UK was hit by several storms in quick succession starting with Arwen last November with sustained strong winds generating gusts up to 110 mph. The devastation was considerable with evidence of damage to forests and property large-scale and still evident today.
With climate change the culprit there is a rush to minimise the impact of fossil fuels by accelerating the transition to clean energy. One hundred nations pledged to end deforestation by 2030 at the recent COP but record numbers of trees have been recently plundered from Brazil’s part of the Amazon.
Despite best intentions therefore, climate change is going to rumble on. How does this global conversation impact on the mere mortal living, for example, in North East England? The late storms of 2021, which continued into 2022 have already been referred to. But with damaging storms likely to be a feature of our weather pattern it is best to be prepared.
The initial Hong Kong experience has been an opportunity for Hart to develop a very strong shutter system drawing on its experience with the Typhoon shutter which is proven to be able to withstand violent storms. With more storms of the Arwen strength forecast, a high-performance roller shutter which is a wind-resistant, robust and electrically operated roller shutter system is essential.
Perfect for high security in areas exposed to extreme winds from major storms and it complies with the current British and EEC safety regulations. Further during its development Hart third party tested the shutter which revealed it could withstand various high-pressure levels up to 4000 pascals.
As a brand it is a perfect match for Hart’s Speedor range of high-speed, automatic doors. Just as the Typhoon shutter is about strength and protection, Speedor is about high-speed and frequent use in high-traffic situations, improving working conditions and saving energy.
Contact www.hartdoors.com t: 0191 214 0404 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
