A framework for post-windstorm functional recovery of non-residential buildings applied to hospitals

This study introduces a framework for recovery-based design in wind engineering. Currently, research is well advanced to implement this approach in earthquake engineering, with the scope of improving the resilience of structures and critical infrastructure, to achieve a durable and re-occupiable built environment after the occurrence of a disaster, and estimating downtimes and quantifying service disruption. The concept of interdependencies between the nonstructural components (building envelope) and a building’s functions is realized using Fault-Tree Analysis (FTA). Using this method allows the construction of fragility curves of systems of components and services using information as weights to reduce epistemic uncertainties, and a hypothetical recovery curve for the functionality of building services based on exposure to the hazard’s impact on the building envelope. The recovery process established here highlights the fundamental importance of accurate estimation of service losses. The methodology is applied to 4 hospitals located in different climatic regions in the United States surveyed using the database of EYP Architecture & Engineering. The analysis showed the importance of building design factors; such as the location of services relative to the envelope, number of stories, and the Window-to-Wall Ratio as significant influences on the risk of service disruption and recovery.