A method to assess peak storm wind speeds using detailed damage surveys

A detailed damage survey of a single, wood-framed, structure, which had a complete roof failure during the passage of a gust front in southern Ontario, was performed. Radar data was used to estimate upper level wind speeds associated with the gust front. Details pertaining to the structural failure,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Engineering structures 2011, Vol.33 (1), p.90-98
Main Authors: Kopp, Gregory A., Morrison, Murray J., Kordi, Bahareh, Miller, Craig
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Buildings. Public works
Climatology and bioclimatics for buildings
Damage
Damage surveys
Debris
Downbursts
Exact sciences and technology
Failure
Gusts
Low-rise buildings
Radar data
Roofs
Stresses. Safety
Structural analysis. Stresses
Surveys
Wind loads
Wind speed
Wind tunnels
Wind-borne debris
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Summary:A detailed damage survey of a single, wood-framed, structure, which had a complete roof failure during the passage of a gust front in southern Ontario, was performed. Radar data was used to estimate upper level wind speeds associated with the gust front. Details pertaining to the structural failure, including the debris field, were obtained. Wind tunnel pressure time histories, in a simulated atmospheric boundary layer, were used to establish the roof height, gust wind speed at failure. This speed was smaller than the upper level speed found from the analysis of the radar. The flight of the roof was also examined, and confirmed the wind speeds obtained from the structural analysis of the failure. The study illustrates that detailed damage surveys, which incorporate the use of wind tunnel test data and debris flight in the analysis, can shed considerable light on the details of the wind speeds at failure, reducing the uncertainty caused by the many assumptions in such analyses.
ISSN:0141-0296
1873-7323
DOI:10.1016/j.engstruct.2010.09.021