Scribd
Upload
26 views2 pages

B95-44

The document discusses the impact of extreme weather events, such as tornadoes and cyclones, on building design in New Zealand, emphasizing the need for homes to withstand atypical wind conditions. It highlights the importance of accurately assessing wind zones and the implications of building in exposed areas, as well as the necessity for proper communication of these zones to ensure appropriate construction practices. The document also outlines key factors influencing wind assessments, including topography and site exposure, and stresses the importance of consulting structural engineers for accurate evaluations.

Uploaded by

Ezo Ezo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views2 pages

B95-44

The document discusses the impact of extreme weather events, such as tornadoes and cyclones, on building design in New Zealand, emphasizing the need for homes to withstand atypical wind conditions. It highlights the importance of accurately assessing wind zones and the implications of building in exposed areas, as well as the necessity for proper communication of these zones to ensure appropriate construction practices. The document also outlines key factors influencing wind assessments, including topography and site exposure, and stresses the importance of consulting structural engineers for accurate evaluations.

Uploaded by

Ezo Ezo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

FEATURE EXTREME WEATHER

by Roger Shelton, BRANZ Structural


Engineer

In April, a tornado removed the


roof of a Paraparaumu house. This
is not a typical wind occurrence
for the area, but it raises the
question of whether new houses
should be more able to cope with
extreme events.
Low-wind-zone building details could not cope with atypical wind, resulting in this roof taking off.

Don’t blow my house down


Assessing wind zones
L
ate last year, Hurricane Katrina places. As these communities have
hit the New Orleans area with expanded, the demand for more We have probably all experienced the
devastating results. In March this buildings puts pressure on scarce land difference in wind speed that can occur
year, Cyclone Larry hit small commun- space and houses are increasingly between a site on an exposed hilltop
ities on the north Queensland coast. being built in less hospitable sites, such and another in a sheltered valley floor
Although winds of up to 240 km/h as hilltops and coasts. Any aeroplane less than a kilometre away. It could
were reported, the majority of newer flight near a main population centre easily range from ‘specific design’
buildings performed well. will confirm this. We also build vastly down to ‘low’ (in NZS 3604: 1999
It has been speculated that the rise more ambitious buildings, with more wind-zone terms). Unfortunately the
in sea temperature may contribute to complex roof shapes, larger rooms and effect of the wind (i.e. pressure on the
increasing atmospheric instability, fewer walls, which have bigger building component) is based on the
leading to more extreme events. In openings. Size and complexity have square of the wind speed, which could
New Zealand this would manifest itself implications for both weathertightness result in an increase in wind load of up
in more tropical cyclones in the north, and wind loading, while lack of walls to three times between these two sites.
and perhaps the spreading of the influ- has implications for bracing. This means a lot more nails, straps,
ence of tropical cyclones further south. wall bracing, stronger roof trusses and
In Australasia, because of the Getting it right so on. Very significantly, it also means
scarcity of hard data on extreme winds, One thing is certain, all those involved three times greater wind pressure
it is difficult to draw firm conclusions in building design and construction forcing rainwater through leakage
on whether or not design wind speeds must consider wind zones very care- paths around windows and flashings.
should be increased. For this reason, fully. There have been several It is crucial to communicate the
the 2002 revision of the Loading instances, as some claims under the site wind zone clearly to suppliers so
Standard (AS/NZS 1170) made very Weathertight Homes Resolution Service that only components explicitly
few changes to regional wind speeds. have found, where initial assessments designed for the conditions are
of wind zones have been proved incorporated into the building. Either
Changing building patterns wrong. The professional consequences obtain the wind zone directly from the
Far more significant is the changing of getting it wrong could be severe, Territorial Authority (TA), or follow the
way we build. Most New Zealand quite apart from the cost and anguish procedures in NZS 3604. If there is any
communities started life in sheltered for the owner. doubt consult a structural engineer.

44 BUILD A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6
Region

Topography Exposure

Roughness

Figure 1: The key factors and their proportional


influence when determining wind zones. Figure 2: Hilltop buildings need careful design to cope with high wind speeds.

Four key factors have a sheltering effect. This effect is building types. There is a cost
lost when buildings overlook a steep implication when building in such
All wind zone assessments basically
slope and the wind can attack more locations and building professionals
follow the same procedure, considering
directly. Open spaces, such as a park, must ensure they (and particularly the
four key factors. The relative influence
river or motorway, act as natural wind owners) do not pay the price for it by
of each factor can be seen in the
channels and sites adjacent to these taking shortcuts.
diagram in Figure 1.
features are considered fully exposed.
Regional wind zones Wind maps
Ground roughness
This is the ‘global’ picture. New Zealand Figure 3 shows part of a Territorial
lies in the path of the ‘Roaring Forties’, We are looking at the macro scale Authority’s wind map (usually readily
which means frontal wind systems, here. Wind speed at the earth’s surface available from their website). In this
predominantly from the west. Cook is slowed by ‘friction’ caused by the case, the red SED zones (specific
Strait tends to funnel these winds roughness of the ground surface. For engineering design) follow ridges and
between the islands, and there is a simplicity, in NZS 3604: 1999 the full hilltops. A word of caution – these
corresponding increase to the south, range of ground roughness was wind maps are relatively coarse and
spreading up from Foveaux Strait. grouped into urban, rural or open. cannot show fine detail, so there will
North of Auckland, there is an in- Topography be plenty of sites where local effects
creased likelihood of tropical cyclones. This is the most important factor. Wind will override the general wind zones
Additionally, some parts of the country shown here. Sheltered sites could
speed is highly affected by acceleration
are affected by large-scale swirls or actually be in a lower zone. Probably
over hilltops, ridges and coastal escarp-
eddies downstream of certain hills or more importantly, exposed sites may
ments. The steeper the hill and the
mountain ranges – the ‘lee zones’. be in a higher zone.
closer to the top, the greater the effect.
Site exposure A detailed assessment, based on a
These sites are becoming increas-
site visit, is always the best policy. ><
Substantial buildings or trees surroun- ingly desirable building locations and
ding the proposed building site clearly will often have the most ambitious

Figure 3: On the left is a typical wind zone map from a TA. On the right is a 3D version of the wind zone map.

BUILD A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6 45

You might also like