47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES 44.1 INTRODUCTIONThis chapter presents some observations on the performanceof critical facilities during Hurricane Katrina that identifythe various ways in which building and equipment damage,as well as loss of municipal services, can disrupt facility operations.These observations are intended to help people who own, operate,design, and build critical facilities to adjust their buildingdesigns, construction, and facility management practices to reflectthe needs of comprehensive risk reduction.During Hurricane Katrina, surging floodwaters and high windscaused considerable and often catastrophic building damage,forcing many critical facilities to cease operations and evacuatetheir premises even before the storm had passed. In many instancesthe continued operation of hospitals, police and firestations, schools, and EOCs was severely compromised by relativelyminor damage to the building or building-mounted equipment.Although the structural components of most critical facilities survivedthe hurricane, other building components performed lesswell, causing serious disruptions.The observations highlighted in this chapter, made by a team ofbuilding professionals (architects and engineers) experiencedin hazard mitigation, document the variety and severity of thebuilding damage, and the corresponding effects on facility operations.Field inspections and discussions with facility managers andother personnel served as the basis for analysis of the experiencesof individual facilities. The descriptions of these experiences areOBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES4-1