Note from the President:
I am so pleased to introduce this edition of our newsletter focusing on some of the unique products that AMBICO has recently brought to the marketplace. We take pride in our deep understanding of the marketplace, combined with our engineering expertise and our skill in manufacturing and bringing a product from conception to realization often in a matter of just a few years. Demanding weather events are being reported on a very regular basis whether in the Mississippi Delta or the Florida coast or even (in our case) in the urban areas of Ontario. Building owners, everyday people, and infrastructure professionals are demanding that manufacturers think outside the box by identifying, developing, and testing door and frame assemblies that can protect themselves and their loved ones. We at AMBICO have proven ourselves up to that task over decades.
In this Newsletter, you’ll read about our new (and unique!) Wood, Tornado Resistant Door, and Frame Assemblies. You’ll hear about our door assemblies that turn back raging flood waters-no kidding! And you’ll be introduced to what may seem like an everyday casino in the Philippines, where AMBICO’s Bullet Resistant Door and Frame Assemblies have created a safe working environment for both staff and guests. These are just a few of the resilient products that have been brought to the marketplace by our teams of professionals. Let us know what you think as you peruse these few pages. We’d welcome the opportunity to hear from you.
Jack Shinder
President
The AMBICO Solution
The AMBICO Solution showcases AMBICO products and the solutions they bring to architectural projects and designs.
Tornado Resistant Wood Doors and Steel Frames
About one thousand tornadoes occur in the United States every year. Most of them wreak havoc in “Tornado Alley”, which runs from Texas to Alabama and north to South Dakota and Indiana with all states in between. However, tornados have occurred in all of the lower 49 states. In the U.S., tornadoes are the most destructive windstorm events and are responsible for the greatest number of wind-related deaths annually. Insurance claims losses from a single tornadic event of $1 billion and greater are becoming increasingly more frequent.
For over 25 years, AMBICO has designed and manufactured tornado-resistant steel doors and frames that meet FEMA -361 Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters and the 2020 ICC 500/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters. While on different job sites throughout areas in Tornado Alley, AMBICO discovered many steel tornado shelter doors being used as interior doors in schools and corridors next to traditional wood doors. Realizing the only reason steel doors were being specified was due to tornado shelter and safe room doors not being available in wood, AMBICO set out to develop a tornado-resistant wood door that could provide a design solution to architects while offering the protection of steel.
Using our extensive knowledge in designing wood-clad doors with steel cores, we tested our tornado wood door rigorously to ensure it would pass the 2014 ICC 500/ NSSA Standard. AMBICO’s wood door and steel frame assembly were tested and certified by Intertek, successfully meeting the ICC 500 test standard for 250 MPH wind speed and debris impact.
In tornado-resistant testing, door swing is defined relative to the safe area; in-swing opens into the safe area and out-swing opens out of the safe area. AMBICO has independent certification of both swing directions for both single and paired openings. AMBICO accommodates opening sizes from shutter size starting at a minimum size of 2ʹ6ʺ× 3ʹ, to single openings to a maximum size of 4ʹ×10ʹ outswing singles, and paired openings to a maximum size of 8ʹ×10ʹ with mullion.
AMBICO is proud to be one of the first to market a tornado-resistant wood door with steel frames. AMBICO tornado-resistant wood doors and steel frames combine the ultimate in wind and debris resistance and yet appear identical to standard wood doors and pressed steel frames. Wood Doors and steel frames have been tested as a unit and are available to be supplied where specified with a multi-point lock or exit device factory pre-installed. Face veneers are available in virtually every species, cut & grade. Wood doors are also available with custom stain match or clear coat finishes.
Architects now have a choice when it comes to designing schools or other buildings with interior tornado-resistant assemblies. Before, architects could only choose tornado-resistant steel doors and frames, but now they can choose AMBICO’s tornado-resistant wood door and steel frame that offers the same protection as our steel door with the appearance, texture, and finish of a wood door. With a variety of face veneers available in different species, cuts, and grades and with custom stain matching or clear coat finishes.
AMBICO’s tornado-resistant wood doors and steel frames are a testament to our continuing dedication to life safety assemblies while maintaining the aesthetic appeal so often desired by architects. Contact us today for more information.
To know more about AMBICO’s Tornado Resistant Wood Doors and Steel Frames https://www.ambico.com/tornado-resistant-wood-doors-steel-frames/
Flood Resistant Doors & Frames
Floods are the most common (and among the most deadly) natural disasters in the United States. They have brought destruction to every state and is increasingly are becoming a global problem with worsening catastrophic events. As global warming continues to exacerbate sea level rise and extreme weather, our nation’s floodplains are expected to grow by approximately 45 percent by the century’s end and coastal flooding events created by hurricanes grow more frequent and severe.
Between 2007 and 2017, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) paid an average of $2.9 billion per year to cover flood-related losses, with individual years often costing far more. Following 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, for example, property owners filed approximately $8.8 billion in flood claims. Another $8.8 billion would be filed five years later, after Hurricane Harvey, and many times, the same homes are repeatedly flooded—more than 30,000 properties flooded an average of five times each has been covered under the NFIP.
Entirely preventing floods isn’t possible, but we can take steps to lessen their devastation. AMBICO flood-resistant door and frame assemblies withstand hydrostatic pressure and include robust seal systems capable of minimizing water leakage. Assemblies are supplied in galvanized steel or stainless steel. Custom-engineered solutions are available for debris impact resistance based on project-specific requirements. Assemblies also include customized anchor solutions to ensure the integrity of the frame installation. Common applications include exterior outswing doors where water seats the door into the frame. In applications where doors are seated into the frame, standard builder’s hardware shall be used. In applications where doors are unseated, special hinges and latching hardware may be required; in these cases, the specialty hardware is supplied by AMBICO.
To know more about Flood Resistant Doors and Frames visit https://www.ambico.com/flood-resistant-doors/
AMBICO in the World
AMBICO in the world highlights architectural projects throughout the world that have used AMBICO products.
City of Dreams Luxury Resort in Manila, Philippines
City of Dreams Manila is a world-class, luxury resort, in the Philippines, boasting three prestigious hotels, a casino complex, several notable restaurants, nightclubs, a shopping mall, a theme park, and more. This magnificent development officially opened in 2015. This is a wonderful example of a multi-faceted development, where several performance-rated products were specified.
AMBICO provided many of the specialized door assemblies for this large-scale construction. As with any resort or tourist destination, security and safety are paramount for the City of Dreams Manila which was provided with AMBICO’s bullet-resistant doors and bullet-resistant multi-blade vertical lift overhead doors. These doors provide up from 4 (regular doors) to 8 (vertical lift doors) UL levels of bullet resistance. This diversity allows the City of Dreams Manila to provide safe and secure premises that can protect its guests from everything from a .357 Magnum Revolver to military assault weapons depending on their needs. AMBICO also implemented the doors with the express desire for them to look sleek, beautiful, and appealing, seamlessly integrating them into the resort.
In an exceptional application, AMBICO’s flood-resistant doors were specified as well. These highly specialized flood-resistant products were installed in a room where freshwater is stored in large tanks. Should there be problems with these water tanks, AMBICO’s flood-resistant door and frame assemblies will prevent water leakage to other areas of the building by withstanding hydrostatic pressure while providing robust seal systems capable of reducing water leakage.
These special use AMBICO flood-resistant door assemblies and bullet-resistant door assemblies have been successfully installed to ensure a safe and secure environment in the City of Dreams Manila. AMBICO is pleased to have played a critical role in the development of such an exciting project.
To know more about this project visit https://www.ambico.com/city-of-dreams-manila/
AMBICO Extended Family
AMBICO Extended Family is a quarterly feature focusing on AMBICO rep agencies around the world.
Architectural Marketing Associates, Inc., (AMA) was founded in 1989 with the objective of providing professional sales, marketing, and promotional services to independent, premium manufacturers of Architectural Doors and Hardware. AMA has proudly represented AMBICO since 2003, in the Florida, and Puerto Rico marketplaces as well as in the Caribbean Islands. Architectural Marketing Associates has become a valued partner for premium-grade architectural doors and hardware within the construction supply chain. Working with AMBICO from “concept to completion” AMA offers innovative solutions ensuring that projects will be completed on time and within budget. Their associates are known to represent their clients with the highest degree of responsiveness, professionalism, and integrity. AMA’s mission is to inform, educate and collaborate with the architectural and design community and to plan, design, and budget, making use of state-of-the-art code complying design solutions. Architects, owners, developers, general contractors, interior designers, contract door & hardware distributors, and millwork suppliers are among the partners with whom AMA collaborates.
Learn more about our family at AMBICO | AMBICO | Connect with an AMBICO Rep
AMBICO’s CEU Courses
Our free Commercial Steel Doors in Resilient Design self-paced course offers architects the opportunity to learn about the benefits of using steel doors as part of resilient design strategy for applications requiring resistance from manmade and natural disasters such as blasts, tornadoes, and ballistic threats. Completion of the course grants architects with 1.5 LU/HSW credits accredited by AIA.
Learn more about our CEU Courses at AMBICO | AIA Certified Online Learning
