Introduction*
PAHO/WHO, through Applied Research Associates,
has developed new state-of-the-art wind hazard maps for Caribbean
islands and nearby coastal areas of Central and South America. The
maps use the most up-to-date meteorological records and methods
and are intended to replace older maps currently in use for structural
design and risk assessment. They are an important aid for engineers,
developers, and others whose work requires knowledge of wind hazards.
Why were new wind hazard maps prepared?
| 1. |
The present project includes the Caribbean
coastlines of South and Central American countries. In several
of these cases there is no presently available wind hazard guidance
for structural design purposes. The new maps will plug that
gap. |
| 2. |
The only pan-Caribbean wind hazard maps
ever produced for application in the design of structures were
in 1969 (Caribbean Meteorological Institute – H C Shellard),
1981 (Caribbean Meteorological Institute – B Rocheford),
1985 (University of Western Ontario Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel
Laboratory – Davenport, Surry, Georgiou). |
| 3. |
Since 1985 the region has collected
another 23 years of relatively reliable data. The incorporation
of these data would serve to improve the quality of currently-available
wind hazard information. |
| 4. |
There have been developments in the
science and technology related to the long-term forecasting
of hurricane activity in the North Atlantic (including the Caribbean). |
| 5. |
The past 13 years of higher-than-normal
hurricane activity in the North Atlantic has led to the questioning
of wind design criteria incorporated in the present standards
in the Caribbean. |
| 6. |
This, in turn, has led to uninformed
and unreasonable and counterproductive decisions on appropriate
basic (and therefore design) wind speeds for some Caribbean
projects and in some Caribbean countries. |
| 7. |
The phenomenon of hurricane activity
in the Caribbean is best dealt with regionally and not in a
country-by-country manner. |
What use will be made of the results of the proposed project?
| 1. |
New regional standards are currently
being prepared in a project funded by the Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB) and executed by the Caribbean Regional Organisation
for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). These will replace the Caribbean
Uniform Building Code (CUBiC). The CDB-CROSQ project does not
include new wind hazard maps for the target region. These new
Caribbean Basin maps have been prepared to be consistent with
the CDB-CROSQ intension to base the new standards project on
the USA “International” codes which reference the
wind load provisions of the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE 7 Chapters 2 and 6). Thus the results of this wind hazard
mapping project could be plugged directly into the new CDB-CROSQ
standards. |
| 2. |
Those Caribbean countries which, for
whatever reason, are developing their own standards and not
participating in the CDB-CROSQ project will also require wind
hazard information. This wind hazard mapping project will provide
wind hazard information which could readily be represented in
forms designed to fit directly into standards documents with
different approaches. (Technical standards in the Caribbean
are best dealt with regionally and not in a country-by-country
manner. This comment relates particularly to the Commonwealth
Caribbean.) |
| 3. |
Engineers in all Caribbean countries
are designing projects every day which must resist the wind.
Confidence in the wind hazard information is important to designers.
Clients sometimes wish to specify the levels of safety of their
facilities. Insurance providers sometimes wish to know the risks
they underwrite. This depends critically on the quality of hazard
information. Financing institutions sometimes wish to specify
wind design criteria for their projects. There is, in summary,
an immediate and palpable need for wind hazard information based
on up-to-date meteorological records and methodologies recognised
by consensus in the scientific community. |
The open process adopted in his project is exemplified by:
| 1. |
The present Caribbean Basin Wind Hazard
Maps (CBWHM) project has prepared a series of overall, regional,
wind-hazard maps using uniform, state-of-the-art approaches
covering all of the Caribbean islands and the Caribbean coastal
areas of South and Central America. The project was executed
in consultation with interest groups throughout the target region. |
| 2. |
An interim, information meeting was
held at PAHO in Barbados on 01 October 2007. Meteorologists,
engineers, architects, emergency managers, standards personnel
and funding agency personnel from the wider Caribbean were invited
(and were funded) to attend. |
| 3. |
At that meeting the principal researcher,
Dr Peter Vickery of Applied Research Associates (ARA) described
the methodology for developing the maps; presented the interim
results available at the time of the meeting; received comments
from participants and answered their questions; discussed what
systems need to be put in place to improve knowledge of the
wind hazard in the Caribbean region and outlined the further
work to finalise the present mapping exercise. |
* Prepared by Tony Gibbs |
 |
This web site includes:
|
