Procedure for Predicting Wind Damage to Buildings

Experience gained from post-storm investigations of damaged buildings has made it possible to predict types of damage expected on existing buildings. Two procedures that involve different levels of engineering effort are outlined in the paper to predict wind damage to buildings. The level I procedure is a subjective one utilizing a questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire for a particular building are used to ascertain the type and extent of potential damage to the building. The level II procedure is an analytical one. Structural analysis is performed using knowledge of wind-structure interaction, material properties, and a building's structural system to establish threshold failure wind speeds. Damage sequence and possible failure modes can be ascertained from the analysis. The two procedures have been used to predict damage to various types of ordinary buildings. The predictions are used for indentification of areas of safety for occupant protection for construction retrofitting of components to improve a building's wind resistance capabilities.