A Rational Benefit/Cost Approach to Evaluating Structural Mitigation for Wind Damage: Learning ''the Hard Way'' and Looking Forward

Abstract

The conventional wisdom for capital projects such as buildings is to achieve the planned purpose at the lowest possible cost. The easiest and most common way to measure the cost of a capital project is by the initial costs associated with planning, design, and construction. However, future costs are often insufficiently anticipated. The life cycle cost associated with up front decisions or design can be significant and need to be considered when measuring the total project costs. A significant future cost is the potential for damage to a facility from a hurricane. This includes costs associated with physical damage, economic loss, and functional loss of the facility. This is particularly true along the coast of the southeastern United States. While these costs are uncertain, it is possible to quantify them in an approximate and statistical sense. The 2005 hurricane season illustrated the costs associated with hurricane damage. This paper presents an analysis of the damage to a particular building located in Lake Charles, LA. This analysis studied the damage to the facility due to Hurricane Rita as well as the life cycle cost implications. The case study revealed that the costs associated with fortifying the structure against wind damage would have been more than offset by damage from the storm. In order to be able to apply these lessons generically, a method for estimating the losses to a building during its life cycle is presented.

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