Standards & Codes
Missile Impact Test
Also known as: tornado missile test, 2x4 missile test, ICC 500 impact test
What the test does
A cannon launches a standard 2x4 stud at the wall, door, or vent assembly at the prescribed speed. Inspectors then check for perforation, fastener failure, and debris on the protected side. Any perforation is a fail.
Why doors fail more often than walls
Walls are usually the easiest part of a shelter to over-engineer. Doors are the weak point because hinges, the latch system, and the frame all have to absorb the impact without disengaging. A door rated to ICC 500 with the matching frame and hardware is meaningfully different from a heavy steel door without that documentation.
Distinguished from
- Pressure test
- ICC 500 also requires the assembly to handle the design wind pressure. The missile test is debris; the pressure test is wind load. Shelters must pass both.
Authority: ICC 500-2023. Last reviewed 2026-06-04.
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