Gust Factors Applied to Hurricane Winds

Abstract

An important consideration in the design of structures is their response to extreme winds. This is especially true in regions affected by hurricanes. In this research, gust factors derived from hurricane wind-speed records are compared with those derived by Durst and others from open-scale records obtained in well-developed, extratropical storms. Based on records obtained from tour hurricanes and 11 different recording stations, it is concluded that an upward adjustment of the Durst gust factors for the estimation of hurricane gust speeds may be in order. Anomalously high gust factors observed for hurricane winds in inland areas suggest the need for additional study. Also, it is concluded that a reexamination of the statistics of guest factors obtained from extratropical storm data would be useful in clearly identifying the appropriate probability distribution function.