Thin Masonry Assembly: Miami-Dade/Florida (HVHZ) Approved

Regardless of where we live in North America “extreme weather” is top of mind throughout the year. Be it excessive heat, severe storms, or flooding, the frequency of extreme weather events is on the rise and seems to be affecting more regions all the time. For example, Michigan normally averages 15 tornadoes per year – and by April 2026, the state had already experienced 14. Meteorologists are also noting that Tornado Alley is shifting east, putting even more people and properties at risk. It follows then that developers, designers, and builders are looking to Florida’s Building Code (the toughest in North America) for guidelines and solutions for more storm-resilient buildings.

Florida’s stringent code aims to protect its citizens and property from hurricane-force winds – with the highest requirements required in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. With growing storm strength and broader regions being affected, adoption of HVHZ requirements is expanding to other areas of the country.

During a hurricane, wind speeds frequently reach over 115 mph and in serious storms such as a Category 5 hurricane, winds can gust well over 150 mph. (SOURCE). Wind borne debris in these storms causes phenomenal damage and Florida’s code mitigates this with strict requirements for building exteriors.

A few years ago, our thin-clad stone exterior cladding system met the Florida Building Code (Miami-Dade County, Florida – NOA# 14-1022.04, Expiry 09/26/2024), after rigorous testing with the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources. This inherently strong wall system consists of: steel/wood stud (with concrete backer board) or concrete wall (poured or CMU), Laticrete Air and Water Barrier, Hi-Bond masonry veneer mortar and Arriscraft thin-clad calcium silicate stone. What the testing concluded, and our Miami-Dade approvals confirm, is that our thin stone products installed in this system can be used in areas with up to 202.5 mph winds. This certification qualifies for the Miami-Dade area and down into the Florida Keys for Building Risk Categories I through to IV (essentially all buildings in all scenarios).