Wind blows...structure go boom

[JAE]

Most structural failures occur during construction -

General Note: Contractor is responsible for temporary bracing.

ENR Article

 

[mrMikee]

Note that 2x4s were used as bracing. I wonder how long they were? I've never really liked a 2x4 as a brace.

-Mike

 

[JStephen]

One of the problems they don't mention is that bracing during construction is not necessarily intended to handle the same wind loads as the completed structure. IE, it might have been correctly designed and still failed due to higher-than-anticipated winds.

 

[Qshake]

JStephen -

I have to tell you that if you're a contractor in South Florida and a hurricane is on the way or strong winds are even predicted (yes contractor's listen to weather radio) then the goal should have been lets batten this down if we take the risk of erecting. The other option is don't erect during a hurricane....I can't see FDOT charging liquidated damages for that situation.

Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

 

[JAE]

Usually construction bracing, shoring, temporary retaining walls, etc. use lower load intensities than those for permanent loads...Statistically this makes sense as the chance of a high wind over a 1 month period is smaller than that for a 40 year life span..

I think that there is an ASCE document (like ASCE 7) that deals with loads during construction - I don't have the document - but I wonder how they handle wind in hurricane prone areas.

 

[unclesyd]

If you notice that in Florida we find everything after the fact the come out with the babbling officials with the technobabble. Admit no quilt, pay a small fine then onward and upward. The only thing you have to remember is to provide the turkey, liquor, Justine cowboy boots, or in rare cases a Rolex. Have you ever seen an inspector on a job with a Rolex? I have and it was new as he kept looking at it.

After Ivan, while surveying some the destruction on the a local beach a noted official stated that it was due to not having the building code enforced. His office was quick to correct the statement to that the destruction was due to not having the South Florida Building Code in place. This was about as bad as 80% or so of the structures had been built after Hurricane Andrew and supposedly a new code was in place.