Review of Literature on Performance of Coastal Residential Buildings under Hurricane Conditions and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Coastal residential buildings have suffered significant damage during recent hurricanes, which illustrates the poor performance of coastal structures. This paper reviews the performance of coastal residential buildings with respect to direct and indirect damage, and subsequent mitigation techniques are discussed according to hurricane wind and flood-related hazards. The results show that building systems other than conventional wood frames have better performance during strong hurricanes. Regardless of building materials and systems, envelope systems and roofs are more susceptible to wind-induced damage compared to structural components. Therefore, selecting adequate connection systems, suitable wind-resistant materials, and appropriate installation methods for wall/roof coverings can significantly reduce the level of wind-induced damage. Regarding flood-related hazards, surge and subsequent wave heights cause inevitable damage to nonelevated or low elevated buildings once a flood reaches the first-floor level. Furthermore, many elevated buildings surviving a flood can still be vulnerable to wind-induced damage, particularly envelope systems due to the fact that the house would be exposed to higher wind pressures. As a result, selecting the appropriate foundation system and using flood-resistant materials below the base flood elevation can reduce flood-induced damage to residential buildings in coastal regions.