EFFECT OF WIND ON COASTAL CONSTRUCTION IN FLORIDA

The State of Florida's tidal shoreline is 8,426 miles long. Both the e ast and the west coast of Florida are subjected to several coastal sto rms each year. The present study was undertaken to develop a consisten t and rational wind design procedure for habitable structures located seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL). The first obj ective was to address the apparent inconsistency between the 110-mph d esign criteria and the 140-mph design criteria specified elsewhere. Th e rationale behind the two regulations was studied in depth, and it wa s found that a minimum fastest mile wind of 110 mph for most of Florid a's coastline is appropriate to ensure a 100-year mean recurrence inte rval. This provision is being adopted by the Florida Department of Nat ural Resources (FDNR). The second objective was to recommend a buildin g code best suited for Florida coastal construction. After a thorough comparison, the ANSI Code was found to be the most consistent, user fr iendly and rational code for wind design of Florida coastal constructi on. This code is now being adopted by the FDNR for design and analysis of new and existing structures.