What is wind uplift?

Wind uplift is the force on a building when strong wind moves up and over it. As it hits the sides, it accelerates upwards and resumes its normal course at the top of the wall. This creates negative pressure and an upward thrust or suction force on decking or paving, particularly on balconies, terraces and rooftops. It may result in loose decking and paving, costly repairs, safety hazards, insurance claims, and damaged reputations.

Wind uplift remediation projects

Driven by an improved understanding of the potential issues associated with wind uplift, many large-scale construction specialists opt to initiate remediation projects. In some cases, this is due to direct experience with wind-uplift damage. However, most property developers are adopting a preventative approach and introducing wind uplift solutions to pre-empt problems.

Challenges

Wind uplift remediation initiatives pose several challenges.

• Cost - On high-rise, multi-occupancy buildings, remediation can be costly.

• Time - Completely replacing paving systems is time-consuming. Ideally, wind uplift remediation solutions will be quick and easy to install.

• Access - Remediation work requires access to paved spaces, causing disruption to users. Effective solutions aim to minimise disruption.

Potential solutions

With these challenges in mind, developers should consider two principal solutions. Either they completely renovate the paving systems and introduce wind uplift design features and components or they retrofit wind uplift technologies.

Renovating a paving system to incorporate wind uplift technologies means removing the upper layer of paving slabs and replacing the entire paving substructure. In this respect, it fails to overcome many of the challenges listed above.

For most projects, retrofitting solutions are the more cost-effective and practical solution. They allow project owners to protect against wind uplift without significant remediation work, reducing costs and minimising project duration and disruption.

Tried and tested retrofitting solutions

As with all construction challenges, the solution must be tailored to developers’ requirements. While renovating paving systems may be the preferred option in some cases, retrofitting technologies are more practical and cost-effective in most instances.

The RYNO RFC-WU | Retrofit Wind Uplift Clip is an excellent example. Developed by RYNO’s wind-uplift experts, it is the product of extensive research and testing and is designed to meet the specific needs of developers and property owners.

If you have any questions concerning wind uplift and how this might impact a project you are working on, reach out to one of RYNO's experts today.