Cyclone damage to buildings and structures — a case study

The coastal belt of peninsular India, especially the east coast, experiences frequent cyclones. Such cyclones coupled with storm surges cause loss of lives and inflict severe damage to a variety of structures, houses, commercial buildings, industrial structures and many life-line installations. Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC), Madras, has been conducting post-disaster damage surveys on buildings and structures ravaged by cyclones from time to time. Detailed surveys are undertaken after the occurrence of every severe cyclone in the peninsular India since 1977. The Centre has conducted a damage survey of buildings and structures due to a severe cyclone, which hit the east coast of India, near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh State, South India, during November 1996. The maximum wind speed of the cyclone, as reported by the India Meteorological Department, was about 61 m/s and it was accompanied by storm surges of height upto 5 m. Typical failures observed include complete collapse of roofing system in most of the dwellings and semi-engineered buildings with thatch, tiles and AC sheets, failure of connections, failure of gable walls, and progressive collapse of roof steel trusses. This paper illustrates, with photographs, the damage caused to different types of structures. The paper also suggests simple and useful guidelines to improve the resistance of different structures against cyclonic forces.