Building Wind Damage Prediction and Mitigation Using Damage Bands

Abstract

The wind damage resistivities of buildings impacted by hurricanes and tornadoes depend primarily upon the strength of the connections between the building components, the nature of the components, the architectural design features, and the nature of the immediate environment. Using previously derived building wind vulnerability relationships based on upper and lower damage probabilities of building components and connections, called damage bands, and building relative wind resistivity indices based on expert experience, this paper presents detailed procedures for predicting wind damage to individual buildings, portfolio analysis, and wind damage mitigation. Building component types and features that furnish specified percent reductions in wind damage degree over those of a conventional building are recommended for implementing a program of wind damage mitigation. The ease of implementation and robustness of these damage prediction methods make them particularly attractive for insurance underwriting and wind damage mitigation.