Wind-Resistive Design of Wood Buildinqs

摘要

Most regions of the United States face high wind hazards with the accompanying threat of wind-related damage to buildings. According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), high winds cause millions, if not billions, of dollars of damage each year, with roofs representing 85 to 95% of those losses. However, much of this damage could be avoided with a few affordable techniques designed to strengthen buildings against wind forces-techniques that account for interactions between wind loads and building material properties. All buildings are at risk of experiencing damage during high winds. Each structure, with its own unique set of characteristics, such as stiffness, strength and shape, reacts differently to wind loads. Wood is conducive to meeting the challenges of wind-resistive design. For example, one of wood's characteristics is that it can carry substantially greater maximum loads for short durations than for long periods of time, as is the case during high wind events. Wood buildings also tend to be comprised of repetitive framing attached with numerous fasteners and connectors, which provide multiple and often redundant load paths for resistance to wind forces. Further, when structural panels such as plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) are properly attached to lumber floor, roof and wall framing, they form diaphragms and shear walls that are exceptional at resisting high winds. In addition to their other advantages-such as cost-effectiveness and sustainability-properly designed and constructed wood structures complying with building code requirements have proven to perform well during high wind events.