IBHS News Releases

Bolingbrook, IL - The first Fortified…for safer living® home in Illinois, and the first in the central United States, is now under construction in Bolingbrook, IL.

Fortified…for safer living® is a new-home construction designation program of the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a national nonprofit organization established and supported by insurance company members.

“Fortified” techniques and construction materials raise a home’s overall disaster-resistance above the minimum requirement of local building codes.  Extra attention is given to areas especially vulnerable to harsh elements, including doors and windows, roof construction and the foundation.

DuKane Precast, Inc. is building the home in Bolingbrook’s Heritage Knolls on Royce Road.  AAA Chicago Motor Club, an IBHS member, is sponsoring the public safety campaign associated with the new “Fortified” home. The company will also offer a homeowners insurance premium discount to homes built to the “Fortified” standard in Illinois.

“Fortified” home buyers and their builders may choose from a package of affordable upgrade options based on the home’s location.  The Bolingbrook home will have added protection against tornadoes, hail and severe winter weather – three of the state’s most destructive natural elements. 

“Fortified” construction features in this home will include:

• Connections that securely tie the house together from roof to foundation, protecting the structure from winds with speeds up to 130 m.p.h.
• Impact-resistant roof materials that better withstand high winds and are fire resistant.
• Windows and doors with higher wind and water design pressure ratings and a garage door capable of withstanding impact from large objects.
• Construction materials and siting work that eliminate the threat of flood or wildfire.

Depending on the quality of the material the buyer chooses, the cost to add “Fortified” features to a new home in Illinois could be between three and eight percent of the total cost.

An independent inspector, trained by IBHS, verifies that every “Fortified” feature has been built into the home. AAA Chicago will fund the inspection at the Bolingbrook home. The “Fortified” designation is then registered with the Institute and remains with the structure indefinitely, unless major modifications are made.

There are currently seventeen “Fortified” homes – either completed or under construction – throughout Florida and North Carolina.  Several projects are also underway in other states.

“While we cannot escape the destructive power of nature, we can help protect our homes against it,” said Steve JN. Bernth, president & chief operating officer, AAA Chicago Motor Club.  “That is why AAA Chicago Motor Club and AAA Insurance have partnered with Dukane Precast Inc. and IBHS to promote this new 'Fortified' home, the first of its kind in the Midwest.”

“Our company is utilizing a systems approach with our ‘Double-wall’ precast concrete product to build the safest, healthiest, most durable and energy-efficient structures possible,” said Grant Ripper, president, Dukane Precast, Inc. “We are pleased to be working with AAA Chicago Motor Club, AAA Insurance and IBHS on this “Fortified” home here in Bolingbrook, IL.”

“The construction of this latest “Fortified” house marks a significant expansion of the Fortified…for safer living® program,” said Harvey Ryland, IBHS president and CEO. “IBHS is privileged to participate with AAA-Chicago Motor Club, AAA Insurance and DuKane Precast, Inc. in taking this important step in the program’s growth.” 

AAA-Chicago Motor Club is a non-profit, membership organization, providing automotive, travel, insurance and financial services to 827,856 members in the states of Illinois and Indiana.  It is a part of The Auto Club Group (ACG),   the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin.  ACG clubs belong to the National AAA federation, which has 47 million members in the U.S. and Canada. 

Dukane Precast is a prestressed/precast firm based in Naperville, IL, involved in commercial, industrial and residential building construction throughout the Midwest.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety is a national non-profit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage and human suffering caused by natural disasters.