Lessons Learned from Failures of the Building Envelope in Windstorms

Abstract

Lessons learned from failures of the building envelope in windstorms are encapsulated in three principal findings. The building envelope is crucial to the performance of buildings in windstorms. Windborne debris is decisive in shaping the performance of the building envelope. Design attention should be given to postimpact behavior of building-envelope systems. Reviews of damage documentation, insurance records, and computer simulations of building failures establish the importance of the building envelope to satisfactory building performance. These reviews also establish the decisive role of windborne debris in causing damage. The imperative for considering the postimpact behavior of building envelope systems is discussed, and innovative glazing products that meet new design criteria are presented. It is concluded that the building envelope should be given status equal to the principal structural frame in terms of design attention.