SGER Performance of Glass/Cladding of High-Rise Buildings in Hurricane Katrina and its Impact on the Viability of Vertical Evacuation

卡特里娜飓风中高层建筑玻璃/覆层的SGER性能及其对垂直真空生存能力的影响2005年8月29日，卡特里娜飓风登陆前为5级飓风，袭击了新奥尔良市中心和娱乐区的高层建筑，散落在新奥尔良的街道上，碎玻璃、屋顶附属物、路牌、遮阳篷、铝板、覆层部件、建筑内部陈设和倒下的树木。据报道，寻求垂直疏散以躲避洪水的当地人和游客遇到了大风，大风从破碎的窗户中涌出，伴随着倾盆大雨，迫使他们在这些高层建筑的内部匆忙寻找避难所。圣母大学的NatHaz建模实验室(www.nd.edu/~nathaz)将进行现场勘察研究，以评估高层建筑覆层和玻璃的第一手损害，并将确保易腐烂的信息和数据。这项研究的重点是收集这些建筑或其周围地区的地面风记录，并检查高层建筑的玻璃和覆层的损坏情况。根据风向、飞来的碎片在其路径上的可用性，将建立玻璃/覆层损坏的情景。这些信息将用于将风速与观测到的损害联系起来，确定可能的损害原因，并评估建筑规范和标准的充分性。鉴于许多建筑物的围护结构被碎玻璃打破，将从结构完整性和功能的角度研究这些建筑物可能进行垂直疏散的可能性。最后报告将根据初步分析将收集到的信息和观察结果编入目录，分发给结构工程和应急管理领域的其他研究人员，以便进行后续研究。这项研究的结果将为飓风易发地区建筑物的玻璃覆层性能提供重要参考。这将帮助飓风地区的社区在飓风季节之前评估其建筑物的状况，以便进行可能的翻新。这项研究还将为受飓风威胁的美国沿海地区的应急管理组织提供关键意见，以评估高层建筑垂直疏散的可行性。

SGER Performance of Glass/Cladding of High-Rise Buildings in Hurricane Katrina and its Impact on the Viability of Vertical EvacuationKatrina, a Category 5 hurricane just before landfall, pummeled the high-rise buildings in the downtown and entertainment districts of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, strewing the streets of New Orleans with broken glass, roof top appurtenances, street signs, awnings, aluminum sidings, cladding components, building interior furnishings and fallen trees. Reportedly, locals and tourists seeking vertical evacuation to avoid the floodwaters encountered winds that gushed through broken windows with drenching rains and sent them scurrying for shelter in the interior parts of these high-rise buildings. The NatHaz Modeling Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame ( www.nd.edu/~nathaz ) will conduct a field reconnaissance study to assess first-hand the damage to cladding and glass of high-rise buildings, and will secure perishable information and data. The focus of this study is on gathering surface wind records in the locale of these buildings or in their surrounding areas, and examining the damage to glass and cladding of high-rise buildings. Based on wind directions, availability of flying debris in their path, scenarios for the damage of glass/cladding will be established. This information will be used in correlating wind speeds to the observed damage, in establishing possible causes of damage and in assessing the adequacy of building codes and standards. In light of the breaches in building envelopes through broken glass experienced by many buildings, the potential of these buildings for possible vertical evacuation will be examined from structural integrity and functionality perspectives. The final report will catalog the collected information and observations based on the preliminary analysis for dissemination to other researchers in structural engineering as well as emergency management areas for follow-up studies. The findings of this study will provide significant input on the performance of glass cladding of buildings in hurricane prone regions. This would assist communities in hurricane areas to assess the condition of their buildings prior to hurricane season for possible retrofits. This study will also provide a critical input to emergency management groups in the coastal regions of U.S. threatened by hurricanes for assessing the viability of vertical evacuation in high-rise buildings.