FEMA P55 Coastal Construction Manual, Fourth Edition - Mad Cad

1 CHAPTER TITLE
COASTAL CONSTRUCTION MANUAL
11 Designing the Building
Envelope
Tis chapter provides guidance on the design of the building
envelope in the coastal environment. 1 Te building envelope
comprises exterior doors, windows, skylights, exterior wall
coverings, softs, roof systems, and attic vents. In buildings
elevated on open foundations, the foor is also considered a part
of the envelope.
High wind is the predominant natural hazard in the coastal
environment that can cause damage to the building envelope.
Other natural hazards also exist in some localities. Tese
may include wind-driven rain, salt-laden air, seismic events, hail, and wildfre.
Te vulnerabilities of the
building envelope to these hazards are discussed in this chapter, and recommendations
on mitigating them
are provided.
Good structural system performance is critical to avoiding injury
and minimizing
damage to a building
and its contents during natural hazard events but does not ensure occupant or building protection. Good
1 The guidance in this chapter is based on a literature review and feld investigations of a large number of houses that were struck
by hurricanes, tornadoes, or straight-line winds. Some of the houses were exposed to extremely high wind speeds while others
experienced moderately high wind speeds. Notable investigations include Hurricane Hugo (South Carolina, 1989) (McDonald
and Smith, 1990); Hurricane Andrew (Florida, 1992) (FEMA FIA 22; Smith, 1994); Hurricane Iniki (Hawaii, 1992) (FEMA FIA
23);
Hurricane Marilyn (U.S. Virgin Islands, 1995) (FEMA unpublished); Typhoon Paka (Guam, 1997) (FEMA-1193-DR-GU); Hurricane
Georges (Puerto Rico, 1998) (FEMA 339); Hurricane Charley (Florida, 2004) (FEMA 488); Hurricane Ivan (Alabama and Florida, 2004)
(FEMA 489);
Hurricane Katrina (Louisiana and Mississippi, 2005) (FEMA 549); and Hurricane Ike (Texas, 2008) (FEMA P-757).
COASTAL CONSTRUCTION MANUAL
Cross referenCe
For resources that augment the
guidance and other information in
this Manual, see the Residential
Coastal Construction Web site
(http://www.fema.gov/rebuild/
mat/fema55.shtm).
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