Review of Standard Practice for Wind‐Resistant Manufactured Housing

Abstract

Manufactured homes are popular as single family dwellings because of their low cost per square foot (square meter) relative to conventional housing. Despite their popularity, there is concern for the significant wind losses reported each year, not to mention the accompanying injuries and deaths. Wind damage is primarily in the form of roof loss and tiedown/foundation failures. Initiation of roof loss or tiedown/foundation failure sometimes leads to sudden and total destruction of a manufactured home. Federally enforced wind‐load design criteria need to be reevaluated, but changes in construction practices to provide redundancy and ductility in the load‐resisting structural system will be more effective in improving the performance of housing in high winds. The use of ground anchors in the tiedown/foundation system must be abandoned in favor of permanent foundations similar to those used in conventional housing construction. Permanent foundations are somewhat more expensive than the tiedown/foundation system currently in use, but the effects of additional costs can be minimized with longterm financing.