47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

3.2 CRITICAL FACILITIES EXPOSED TOHIGH WINDS3.2.1 Vulnerability: What High WindsCan Do to Critical FacilitiesThis section provides an overview of the common types of winddamage and their ramifications.3.2.1.1 Types of Building DamageWhen damaged by wind, critical facilities typically experiencea variety of building component damage. The most commontypes of damage are discussed below in descending order offrequency.Roof: Roof covering damage (including rooftop mechanical,electrical, and communications equipment) is the mostcommon type of wind damage. The school, illustrated in Figure3-12, was being used as a hurricane shelter at the time a portionof the roof membrane blew off. In addition to the membranedamage, several pieces of rooftop equipment were damaged,and virtually all of the loose aggregate blew off and broke manywindows in nearby houses. The cast-in-place concrete deck keptmost of the water from entering the building.Glazing: Exterior glazing damage is very common during hurricanesand tornadoes, but is less common during other storms.The glass shown in Figure 3-13 was broken by the aggregateMAKING CRITICAL FACILITIES SAFE FROM High Wind3-23