Worldwide Status on Legal and Regulatory Frameworks with Provisions Related to Wind-resistant Design of Buildings

Laws and/or regulations of 137 of 195 countries are discussed from the perspective of 3 types of provisions: wind-resistant design liability, wind load calculation methods, and reference wind speeds or pressures. Studies of legal and regulatory jurisdictions and requirements reveal that (1) 137 countries mention or imply wind-resistant design liability, and 120 and 114 countries define wind load calculation methods and reference wind speeds or pressures, respectively; (2) 110 and 27 countries mention or imply wind-resistant design liability at the national and subnational levels, respectively, (3) 17 countries mention or imply only wind-resistant design liability and (4) 15 countries accept multiple different wind load calculation methods. Analyses of economic damage from storms and economic developments of countries confirm that the establishment of laws and/or regulations (1) does not necessarily directly depend on economic damage and (2) requires at least the lower middle income level of economic development.