Hurricane-Induced Failure Mechanisms in Low-Rise Residential Buildings and Future Research Directions

Despite recent advancements in hurricane hazard characterization and a better understanding of the vulnerabilities of the built environment to hurricane-related hazards, coastal communities still face considerable losses due to extensive damage from hurricanes. Designing and constructing the most vulnerable types of buildings, that is, residential buildings, to be considered as resilient structures can play a significant role in maintaining the functionality of these communities after strong hurricane events. To construct buildings that can maintain or recover functionality in a timely manner after a hurricane event, an organized and clear understanding of the vast extent of hurricane hazards that could disrupt the functionality of buildings is crucially important. This knowledge could enable investigators to pursue research gaps and illuminate less-understood aspects of hurricane-induced failure mechanisms to effectively limit loss of functionality in residential buildings after hurricanes. With this intention, this paper presents a review of the damage mechanisms for different kinds of hurricane-related hazards in low-rise residential buildings and tries to synthesize information in the literature, building codes, and guidelines to identify research gaps. Based on the highlighted gaps, the paper suggests future research endeavors to augment the existing knowledge regarding hurricane-induced loss of functionality through refined or new research methodologies. The paper concludes with a brief discussion on the benefits, limitations, and future directions of the performance and functionality-based design in the context of hurricane engineering and loss assessment in low-rise residential buildings.