Reducing the Risk of Extreme Wind-Induced Damage

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Develop a knowledge of the various extreme wind events, their classification systems, and the response of buildings and structures to wind forces.
• Become familiar with the type of damage caused to homes and other structures by extreme winds.
• Learn the principles of better design and construction for wind forces to reduce damage and the loss of life.
• Be introduced to the general structural systems used to resist wind and the engineering design methods and procedures for wind and lateral loads.
• Become familiar with wind engineering research trends and activities around the world and have an idea about how wind tunnels are used in this field.
• Get introduced to the safety assessment and evaluation of damaged buildings in the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes.

Description
Damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, Nor'easter storms and other extreme wind events amount to billions of dollars worldwide every year. These hazards also claim the lives of many people in the affected areas. The quality of building design and construction for these hazards can be improved. Engineers and other building professionals have an essential role to play by improving their knowledge in the field and by designing better and safer buildings and structures.

This course discusses the design and construction of homes and buildings for wind forces and extreme wind events and how to reduce the damage to buildings and structures from harsh winds. First, the nature of wind, hurricanes and tornadoes is discussed along with the currently used classification systems and the impacts of these events on buildings and structures. Then expected damages from extreme winds and the corresponding response of a structure are discussed. The course provides a detailed discussion of damage to structures caused by extreme winds based on findings from post-disaster investigations by some renowned institutions such as FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US. These investigations constitute lessons to learn from. Some recommendations for better design and construction to reduce the risk of damage are given.

Regarding the design aspect, the various structural systems used in buildings to resist the lateral forces of wind will be outlined, including the structural systems and damping systems used in tall buildings for wind, along with some examples. The general structural building design process for wind will be introduced based on current engineering codes and standards in Canada and the US.

The course also includes an overview of ongoing wind engineering research around the world. A general overview of wind tunnels, their types and their use in building design will be outlined. Finally, the course will introduce the attendees to some standard procedures used in the safety assessment and evaluation of damaged buildings in the aftermath of hurricanes and tornadoes.

Who Should Attend
This course is designed for building professionals such as engineers, architects, and other professionals from the building industry. Building professionals will gain important knowledge in wind engineering which will help them in designing and building better homes and structures to withstand extreme wind events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and winds from winter storms as well such as Nor'easter storms.

Introduction to Wind Forces
Wind forces - Wind pressure distribution on building surfaces - Nature of internal pressures - Factors that impact wind pressures on buildings - Nature of airflow around buildings - Basic principles and terms of aerodynamics as they apply to buildings and structures.

Extreme Wind Events
Nature of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other windstorms - Classification systems - Region of occurrences - Impacts of these events on buildings and structures.

Structural Building Systems for Wind and Lateral Loads
Structural building systems used for lateral loads: moment resisting frames, shear walls and braced frames - Structural principles used in these three categories of systems - Other important structural notions and elements for lateral loads: diaphragm systems, collectors, and torsion - Building irregularities - Application problems that help illustrate how to apply these important structural concepts and principles.

Damage to Structures Caused by Extreme Winds
Detailed discussion of damages to structures caused by extreme wind events - Post-disaster investigations and their most important findings from engineering assessment reports by FEMA and other institutions - Analysis of investigation reports - Typical damages to buildings and structures - Lessons to be learned.

Overview of Wind Engineering Activities and Research
General overview of wind engineering activities and current research around the world - History of the wind engineering field - Brief description of general research methodologies - Summary of current wind engineering activities and research – Wind tunnels

Systems Used in Tall Buildings for Wind Forces
Tall buildings - Principles used in damping systems - Structural history of the skyscraper and how wind forces were addressed- Lateral load resisting systems used in tall buildings using concrete, steel, and composite steel.

Wind Design in Building Codes and Engineering Standards
Wind forces in building codes and other engineering standards - Introduction to the various design procedures and methods used for wind forces – Design examples.

Introduction to the Use of Wind Tunnels in Building Design
Types of wind tunnels – Brief introduction to the wind tunnel procedure in the building codes and engineering standards.

Introduction to Database-Assisted Design
Brief introduction to the modern database-assisted design – History and benefits of database-assisted design – Aerodynamic databases

Safety Assessment and Evaluation of Buildings in the Aftermath of Wind Events
Introduction to the safety assessment of buildings in the aftermath of extreme events – Discussion of a state-of-the-art field manual introduced by the Applied Technology Council (ATC 45) in California and various well-known training programs by the California Office of Emergency Services.