Performance of Wood Construction in Disaster Areas

Among wood's structural attributes is its inherent fine performance under shock and fatigue loadings. Thus, it is particularly valuable as a construction material in structures that may be subject to wind, earthquake, or blast loading. Surveys of natural disaster areas show that structural failures result from the inability of structures to act as a unit. Buildings that are securely tied together from foundation through roof are capable of withstanding terrific punishment. A real benefit of wood systems is that they can be easily tied together as a rigid structural unit, but are still elastic enough to undergo deformation without permanent structural damage.