Designing for Earthquakes and High Winds

Resilience is the capacity of a structure or system to withstand and recover quickly from disruptive events, be they natural or human-caused disasters. High winds, hurricanes, and earthquakes are a harsh reality for much of the United States and designing a building to withstand the potentially devastating forces of high winds or seismic events is a challenge an architect or engineer will likely face.

Properly designed and constructed wood structures that comply with building code requirements are resilient, performing with minimal damage while protecting occupants during both seismic and high wind events. This continuing education course offers an overview of the benefits of light wood-frame construction, followed by a summary of key considerations in both seismic and wind design.