by Patrick McCarthy, Kenton Lee, Michael Jordan, and Stu Werner
Presented by Patrick McCarthy at the Ports 2007 Conference in San Diego, California
Studies indicate that the intensity, size, and duration of tropical cyclones (hurricanes and typhoons) are increasing dramatically and may be correlated, at least in part, to increasing ocean surface temperatures. This appears to be a global phenomenon and many scientists predict the trend is not likely to abate any time soon.
This presentation discusses recent trends in hurricane wind loading, a novel new design “ductile link” tie-down system, and an economy vs. risk approach for retrofitting existing structures making comparisons to current approaches for seismic retrofit of buildings. This paper also reviews performance of cranes in the US East and Gulf coasts during recent hurricanes.