Wind Damage to Wood-Frame Houses: Problems, Solutions, and Research Needs

Wood-frame houses (light-frame timber construction) suffer widespread losses in high winds. Improvements in construction techniques and practices can greatly reduce wind damage to such buildings. The most serious problem contributing to wind damage in wood-frame houses is inadequate tie-down of roofs. Other serious problems include inadequate tie-down of wall frames to foundation, weak joints, lack of racking resistance, and sloppy construction practice. Simple and inexpensive means exist to correct most of these problems. Research needs include the development of better methodologies to analyze the response of wood-frame houses, especially the response of joints, full-scale testing of wood-frame houses, testing of dissected joints, improved understanding of wind loads, and post-disaster investigations focused on individual houses.