A series of maps developed by NIST indicates the wind speeds certain buildings should be designed to withstand. The contours and wind speeds in the animation shift depending on the size of the building being designed.
Credit: NIST/Animated GIF by B. Hayes
Of the natural hazards in Mother Nature’s arsenal, tornadoes are some of the most vicious. But while other hazards are regularly considered in building designs, tornadoes have not been part of the equation for most structures in our country, even in highly tornado-prone regions. Now, an upcoming edition of a critical building standard gives tornadoes some much needed attention.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released a draft version of the 2022 edition of ASCE 7 for public feedback ahead of its final publication in December. This building standard helps engineers determine the loads (or forces) their building should be able to withstand, whether from a hurricane, earthquake, flood or snow. With the new edition, tornadoes may soon join that list, thanks to research spearheaded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The draft of the new edition features first-of-a-kind tornado hazard maps meant to guide the design of critical facilities, such as schools, fire stations and hospitals, based on their size and geographic location.
“If the standard is ultimately adopted into the building code, it will provide some much-needed basic protection against tornadoes, reducing damages and accelerating recovery especially in the central and southeastern U.S.,” said NIST research structural engineer Marc Levitan, who chairs the ASCE task committee that developed ASCE 7’s new tornado load chapter.
Tornadoes cause more deaths per year ..
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