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| Hurricane Season As anxious Atlantic and Gulf Coast dwellers scan the weather reports this hurricane season, ORNL roofing researcher André Desjarlais will be watching with them—but with a different concern in mind. Desjarlais, safe in the hills of East Tennessee, will be waiting to see if the hurricane damage assessment project he heads for ORNL will be called into action. Ten years ago, ORNL and DOE entered into an agreement with the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues, Inc. (RICOWI) to investigate and document the performance of roofing systems in the wake of major hurricanes. The criteria for action are a major hurricane (sustained wind speeds of 95 mph or more) striking land on the continental United States in a populated area. RICOWI’s goal was to obtain unbiased, detailed damage assessments by credible parties from the roofing, insurance, and building research communities. ORNL hosted training events for investigation team members, conducted by leading experts in examining wind-related roof damage, in 1996 and again in 2000. Meanwhile, the trainees waited for a big one to hit. Not until Hurricanes Charley and Ivan struck the Gulf Coast in 2004 did a storm meet the criteria to set the program into motion. But then the teams were scrambling: RICOWI deployed seven teams in the Charley damage area around Punta Gorda, Florida in August and five in the Pensacola area struck by Ivan in September to document the damage to roofs. Less than one year later, six teams combed the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Desjarlais was a member of one of the Charley field teams and helped shepherd the preparation of the report. “Watching television reports on hurricanes does not even begin to prepare you to inspect the amount of damage created by these strong hurricanes,” he said. “Entire neighborhoods are leveled and communities are destroyed.” Team members included structural and wind engineers, roofing material specialists, insurance analysts, and roofing consultants. Members were assigned to teams based on their areas of expertise, and teams were balanced by having two members representing manufacturers and two members from academia, the insurance industry, consulting firms, or other non-manufacturing fields. More than 115 roof inspections were conducted on nearly every type of building and roof, including commercial, institutional, and residential, low-slope and steep-slope. The teams collected specific types of data on each building examined, including roof shape, roofing materials, edge conditions, installation details, and degree of deterioration. Damage to each roof was described in detail, and hundreds of photos captured visible details. Where possible, the teams identified the point where damage started and possible reasons for the initial failure. A report published in May 2006 documented the damage from Charley and Ivan; Katrina damage will be covered in a report to be issued in late 2006 (The report is available at www.ricowi.com/html/reports). The Charley/Ivan investigations provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of materials and methods of construction in resisting wind damage. A variety of factors were found to affect performance, including roof attachment, material selection, roof/structure design, deterioration, maintenance, and workmanship. The security of roof edgings and of the attachment of rooftop equipment proved to be major issues, and the report recommended more rigorous codes and enforcement in both areas. Typically, the teams found, roofing installed according to the latest codes resisted wind damage well. RICOWI officials hope product manufacturers, roofing system designers, contractors, and building officials will use the knowledge gained from the field investigations to improve the resistance of roofing systems to wind damage. If more durable roofing systems reduce insured losses in coastal areas, consumers all over the country could benefit from lower insurance rates. Contact: Andre Desjarlais,
865-574-0022, desjarlaisa@ornl.gov Submitted by: Andre Desjarlais, Building Envelopes Group |
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