Building Stronger
“Severe catastrophes always trigger a discussion about what could have been done to reduce the death and destruction. And the Joplin tornado, on the heels of the deadly April outbreak in Alabama, has set that discussion off again.” - by Hanley Wood’s Ted Cushman
Interesting Abstracts
Dual-Objective-Based Tornado Design Philosophy
Tornadoes represent a unique natural hazard because of the very low probability of occurrence, short warning times (on the order of only a few minutes), and the intense and destructive forces imposed on engineered and nonengineered buildings. The very low-probability/very high-consequence nature of a tornado strike makes designing for survival and reducing damage under typical financial constraints a substantial challenge… Read More
Van de Lindt, J., Pei, S., Dao, T., Graettinger, A., Prevatt, D., Gupta, R., and Coulbourne, W. (2013). ”Dual-Objective-Based Tornado Design Philosophy.” J. Struct. Eng., 139(2), 251–263.
doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000622
AMS 2014 Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale Open Forum
Here’s a link to the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale Open Forum, an annual meeting hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The forum, held February 3rd 2014, discusses topics concerning the state of the EF scale ranging from issues with current damage indicators to using new sensing technologies in conducting damage surveys.
Click here to access presentations and video of the AMS EF-Scale Open Forum.
Cities Alive: 10th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference
Tuan Vo participated in the 10th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, October 17-20, 2012, held at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, IL, where he presented a report on High Speed Wind Uplift Research on Green Roof Assemblies. Here, he was given the opportunity to exhibit his two-year study of green roof systems showcasing economically, socially, and environmentally viable green architecture suitable for Florida’s unique climate.
Advances in Hurricane Engineering Conference 2012
David Roueche and Craig Dixon participated in the Advances in Hurricane Engineering Conference in Miami, October 24-26, 2012, hosted by the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI). They were given the opportunity to present a report on Wind Uplift Capacity of Foam-Retrofitted Roof Sheathing Subjected to Water Leaks. This ongoing study seeks to evaluate the effect of water leaks on the moisture buildup and wind uplift capacity of ccSPF-retrofitted wood roof panels with the purpose of identifying viable retrofit options to improve the uplift capacity of roof systems vulnerable to hurricane force winds and other wind related natural hazard issues.
