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

2005年8月29日，5级飓风卡特里娜在登陆前猛烈袭击了新奥尔良市中心和娱乐区的高层建筑，在新奥尔良的街道上散落着破碎的玻璃、屋顶设备、街道标志、遮阳篷、铝墙板、包层组件、建筑内部家具和倒下的树木。据报道，当地居民和游客为了躲避洪水而寻求垂直疏散，但却遭遇了狂风和大雨从破碎的窗户中涌出来，他们急忙躲进了这些高层建筑的内部。圣母大学的纳塔兹模型实验室（www.nd.edu/~nathaz）将进行实地侦察研究，以评估高层建筑的包层和玻璃的第一手损害，并将确保易腐烂的信息和数据。本研究的重点是收集这些建筑所在地或其周边地区的地面风记录，并检查高层建筑的玻璃和包层的损坏情况。根据风向、路径上飞行碎片的可用性，将建立玻璃/包层损坏的场景。这些信息将用于将风速与观测到的损害联系起来，确定可能造成损害的原因，以及评估建筑规范和标准的适当性。鉴于许多建筑都经历过玻璃破碎导致的围护结构破裂，这些建筑的垂直疏散潜力将从结构完整性和功能角度进行研究。最终报告将根据初步分析整理收集到的资料和观察结果，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玻璃覆层的性能提供重要的投入。这将有助于飓风地区的社区在飓风季节之前评估其建筑物的状况，以便进行可能的改造。这项研究还将为美国沿海地区受飓风威胁的应急管理小组评估高层建筑垂直疏散的可行性提供重要的投入。

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.