| Abstract | As insurance claims are rising, wind induced failures are one of the major concerns for building envelope designers. To understand the weakest links on the roof assembly, the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues (RICOWI – formerly known as Roofing Committee on Wind Issues) started a Wind Investigation Program (WIP) in 1996. The objectives of WIP are as follows:
1. Investigate the field performance of roofing assemblies after major wind storm events
2. Factually describe roof assembly performance and modes of damage
3. Formally report the results for substantiated wind speeds.
In order for RICOWI investigations to be successful the investigation teams should be balanced, unbiased and trained in wind damage assessment. For a team to be balanced it should consist of a manufacturer, a roofing consultant, university or insurance organization personal, and a manufacturer from another part of the roofing industry.
As part of this program, over the past 20 years, several wind investigations were completed. This paper mainly focuses on the performance investigations of low-sloped roofs. The two most important weak links identified from these investigations are: 1) roof metal edges and integration of roof/wall interface and 2) rooftop equipment. Each of the above weak links is systematically analyzed and then followed by field observation that reflects the fundaments. Based on this exercise, correlations are developed for the effects of wind on roof design. Additionally, wind design data from the North American codes of practice are also calculated and compared to show the importance of science and field observations on roof design to determine how we can make them more durable. With these illustrations, this paper offers recommendations to advance roof system designs for hurricane-prone regions that are resilient. |
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