Cladding Performance of High-Rise Buildings in the Houston CBD during Hurricane Ike

Abstract

In 1983, Hurricane Alicia caused extensive glazing damage to high-rise buildings in the Central Business District (CBD) of Houston with fastest-mile winds reaching 80 mph (∼94 mph 3-second gust). Twenty five years later, Hurricane Ike also passed near the Houston CBD causing significant glazing damage despite 15–20% lower wind speeds. Straightforward kinetic energy calculations of hurricane Alicia and Ike show that Ike can cause comparable or even more damage than Alicia if cladding components start failing at 60 mph (1-min) winds. While both hurricanes followed virtually identical headings, Alicia passed west of the CBD and Ike to the east, providing a unique opportunity to understand extreme wind environments in an urban area for different angles of attack. This paper discusses post-Ike glazing and rooftop appurtenance damage observed in sixteen high-rise buildings within the Houston CBD, including those affected during Alicia