47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

Figure 4-38:Reinforced concrete buildingfor Jackson County EOCIn contrast, pre-engineered metal buildings performed less well.Although the main structural components of most of these buildingsremained standing, suffering only light damage, the restof the building components were not able to resist the forces ofstorm surge. Two prime examples of these buildings are the PassChristian Police Department Headquarters and the Gulfport FireDepartment Station #7 (see Figures 4-32 and 4-39). Both of thesebuildings were severely damaged and all equipment stored insidewas destroyed.Based on the observations, many existing structures can be retrofittedto perform better during high winds. Although suchretrofits may be expensive and generally have limited capacity tostrengthen the structure, they definitely increase the overall structuralresistance. For example, roof decking can be retrofitted withadditional connections to provide increased uplift resistance. Furthermore,roof decks should be attached securely to make thebuilding diaphragm work as a unit and transfer loads adequatelyto the walls, while simultaneously preventing the deck from beingpulled from the structure during high winds.OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES4-55