High Wind Considerations

Building in the realm of nature means coming face to face with formidable powers that I call God’s divine hammers. Although aware of the peril they bring, we deliberately opt to construct buildings within their destructive reach. In this course, we shall examine one such hammer in the catastrophic form of fierce winds. Unfavorable weather conditions giving rise to strong winds, like hurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms, can cause extensive damage to residential and commercial properties. They result in significant financial losses and even loss of lives. While the ideal solution would be to avoid construction in hazardous areas, we tend to stubbornly refuse to accept defeat. Instead, we strive to gather as much knowledge as possible about the expected wind loads and identify viable measures to mitigate those risks. We carefully analyze the paths through which different types of pressure and wind loads can impact buildings. Extensive research is conducted to understand established techniques that help alleviate such predicted forces. Then we try to implement the most effective solutions within our means, to minimize the damage suffered. Building occupants will greatly value any safety measures implemented in design or construction phases, to lessen the damage and risk from high wind events.