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47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

47.5 MB - The Whole Building Design Guide

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Figure 4-39:Gulfport Fire Station #74.4.7 <strong>Building</strong> EnvelopeWhen the building envelope is breached, the interior is no longerprotected from the outdoor environment and the whole buildingis exposed to additional forces that may cause its progressivecollapse.<strong>The</strong> Gulfport Police Department Headquarters and the PassChristian Police Station are the prime examples of building envelopefailure. Both buildings, located near the coast, were exposedto the storm surge that crushed the lightly built exterior walls anddestroyed everything in the interior. Fire Station #7 was breachedby the storm surge, and practically the entire building envelopewas washed away, except for the roof deck. What remained of thebuilding was just a shell (see Figure 4-40). <strong>The</strong> duty personnel andmost of the vehicles were relocated to other facilities until a trailerwas provided as a temporary place of operations.On the other hand, the Gulfport Police Department Headquartersbuilding, constructed with heavy concrete masonrywalls, sustained no significant damage to the building envelope.<strong>The</strong> building only required restoration of flooded buildingcomponents.4-56 OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF CRITICAL FACILITIES

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