Reston, Va. – The American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) received a Research Grant from the Charles Pankow Foundation in the amount of $150,000, for the development, writing and publishing of ASCE’s SEI Pre-Standard for Performance-Based Design for Wind (Pre-Standard). The Research Grant Agreement was signed on March 15.
The grant will fund research to further the wind design of buildings by developing, writing and publishing Pre-Standard. Currently, tall buildings in regions of high seismicity are designed and constructed using performance-based approaches outlined in the Guidelines for Performance-Based Seismic Design of Tall Buildings, however there is no similar outline for wind design. This will fill that void and ensure buildings use performance-based approaches for wind design.
The Pre-Standard project development team is led by Prime Investigator, Don Scott, P.E., S.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE. Scott is the Vice President and Director of Engineering for PCS Structural Solutions.
“We are thankful for the Charles Pankow Foundation funding of the development of the ASCE/SEI Pre-Standard for Performance-Based Design for Wind,” says Scott. “This research will advance the use of performance-based design procedures for the design of tall buildings and enhance their performance during wind events. These procedures will allow for innovation by the design profession to use unique or unusual structural systems, incorporate novel materials and design approaches for tall buildings to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.”
The grant will allow for the project to include a peer review of current system reliability analysis research and the development and peer review of Pre-Standard. Work on this project is set to begin in March 2018 and is expected to be completed in June 2019.
About ASCE
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. Through its strategic initiatives, ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and seeks to “Raise the Bar” on engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.
About ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute
Established in 1996, SEI advances our members’ careers, stimulates technological advancement, and improves professional practice. SEI drives the practical application of cutting edge research by improving coordination and understanding between academia and practicing engineers. For more information, visit www.asce.org/SEI and follow us on Twitter, @ASCE_SEI.
 Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), Research Grant, Charles Pankow Foundation, Performance-Based Design for Wind, Performance-Based Seismic Design, Prime Investigator, PCS Structural Solutions){kind=link}