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UT Arlington Research Experiences for Teachers in Engineering

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Research Experiences for Teachers in Hazard Mitigation

Effect of Extreme Event Wind Loads on Structures

extreme windFaculty Mentors: Dr. Nur Yazdani, PE

Graduate Assistant: Tanvir Manzur

Hazard Type:
Extreme Wind on Structures

2010 Teacher Participants
Joe Feldstein
Miral Kawasmi

2009 Teacher Participants
William Jenkins
Susan Patterson
Claudia Smith

2008 Teacher Participants
Velvet Dow
Danielle Reynolds

Tropical storms, hurricanes and tornadoes are natural disaster-causing phenomenon, which have a high probability rate of impaction in the State of Texas. This is due to the tropical weather in most of costal Texas, the extensive shoreline, and the susceptibility to tornadoes in the state. The state is affected by at least a few of these storms each year on a regular basis. Texas has experienced a massive influx in its population for the past few years. This population increase has resulted in a proliferation of various types of residential and commercial construction. This has increased the potential of storm-induced structural damage and personal injury or death of the occupants (Yazdani et al 2002, 2005). The recently adopted International Building Code (IBC), adopted statewide, contains stringent wind provisions that are not met by many older structures (IBCC 2007).

The purpose of this six week summer project for RET teachers is to provide them with hands on research experience with IBC wind load provisions, analysis of existing structures for wind loads, determining shortcomings (any) of the analyzed structures, and designing upgrades and retrofits for the structures for complying with the building code provisions. An ethical task will be to discuss potential ethical issues arising out of deliberately or negligently using faulty design, inferior material selection and/or substandard construction practice, and the effect of such practice on wind integrity of structures.

Classroom modules to be provided to the teachers will include:

  1. Model prototype building structures with simulated structural elements, connections and wind resistant components;
  2. and Software showing animated building-wind interaction.