Guidelines for prevision against wind in hospitals and health centers

During the design process the structural engineer must assure that the building will be able to resist the lateral loads imposed on the structure. Usually in Latin American countries the lateral loads utilized for design are those produced by earthquakes. Thanks to research conducted in the field of earthquake engineering, technological advances, and experiences during the past years it is possible to design and build structures capable to withstand most of the earthquakes that could take place in our region. However, sometimes it is the wind load instead of the seismic load that governs the design. This document has been prepared with the objective of providing to the engineers and architects of Honduras with theoretical and practical guidelines that can be helpful for designing and building safer hospitals and health centers against wind effects.