Design Wind Speeds for Mexico:

An optimum approach of wind design of structures

Celso J. Muoz Black1, Jorge Snchez Sesma2, Alberto Lpez Lpez3 and Luis E. Prez Rocha4
1
Researcher, Civil Engineering Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Elctricas, Cuernavaca,
Morelos, Mxico, cjmb@iie.org.mx
2
Researcher, Instituto Mexicano de Tecnologa del Agua, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mxico,
jsanchez@tlaloc.imta.mx
3
Researcher, Civil Engineering Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Elctricas, Cuernavaca,
Morelos, Mxico, alopezl@iie.org.mx
4
Researcher, Civil Engineering Department, Instituto de Investigaciones Elctricas, Cuernavaca,
Morelos, Mxico, lepr@iie.org.mx

ABSTRACT
Traditional structural wind design that has been a common practice in Mexico, is based on
regional maximum gust wind velocities of specific return periods associated with different
structural importance or accepted risks. However, nowadays it is a matter of controversy to
specify the optimum return periods to design different type of structures against wind effects that
conduct to minimum cost of losses in case of a structural failure. Although, wind hazard
distribution in Mexico has been well studied, transmission line failures are still occurring,
mainly due to hurricane winds. Taking into account the important direct and indirect losses due
to lifeline structural failures occurred recently in Mexico, a research study focused on the
balance between the cost of losses and the structural reliability level has been developed. For a
wind design practice based on optimal criterion a well established optimum design model, which
is usual for seismic design in Mexico, is now being implemented. Described in this paper is a
new optimum wind design model, as well as a sensitivity analysis of the involved variables.
Finally, conventional and optimal gust wind velocity maps were developed and are presented
and discussed in this work for practical applications.

INTRODUCTION
During the last twenty three years, a unified design criteria for the determination of wind
pressures on high voltage transmission systems and structures, has been developed for Mexico
[1,2,3]. The design wind determination procedure was based on annual maximum gusts arising
from a detailed terrain and topography homogenization followed by an extreme probabilistic
analysis of wind speeds registered in different meteorological stations located all over the
country. Final maximum wind speed estimations were made also considering specifically
hurricane winds. Following this procedure, different isotach maps for predefined return periods
of 10, 50, 100 and 200 years, considering the importance of the structural system, have been
updated[4].
On the other hand, although wind hazard distribution in Mexico has been well studied,
transmission line failures are still occurring mainly due to hurricane winds like occurred in
Mexico during 2005 and 2007 (e.g. Wilma in 2005, Lane in 2006 and Dean in 2007), which
caused important damages and losses to transmission structures lines as shown in Figures 1 and
2.
 Taking into account all these facts mentioned above, the Mexican Electrical Utility (CFE,
as per Spanish abbreviation) focused its interest on developing different research studies in order
to improve their wind design process both for wind reliability and also for risk analysis
formulation. The first of these studies was devoted to update the distribution of wind hazards for
Mexico [4], taking advantage of the improved methodologies for the estimation of hurricane and
orography effects and completing the wind speeds database up to 2006. Figure 3 shows the
isotach map for return period of 50 years, which is normally associated to structures of medium
importance level. The second study was focused to the balance between the cost and the
structural reliability level, allowing for the relevance of the optimal criterion based design. For
this, a well recognized optimum design criterion, initially applied for seismic regionalization of
the Mexican territory [5, 6], was implemented in order to define the best return period for which
important facilities and life line structures must be designed against wind actions with minimum
total costs.

Figure 1: Damage caused by hurricane Wilma in Cancun (2005)

 Figure 2: Damages caused by hurricane Lane in 2006

Figure 3: Isotach map for return period of 50 years updated in 2006

OPTIMAL DESIGN OF WIND RESISTANCE STRUCTURES

In the case of optimal design of wind resistance structures, it is recognized that the cost of
discriminating between feasible design alternatives, is the total cost involved during the structure
service life which integrates not only its initial construction and operating costs, but the future
expected costs, the last ones being related to upkeep expenses, for example, repairs, maintenance
and replacement of contents. Utility losses caused by services interruption, fatalities and injuries
and other consequences of failure or damage, are commonly added to indirect economic
expected costs. In many facilities, for example in electrical transmissions systems, the most
important expected cost involved is due to electrical service interruption when severe failure
damage is presented in one or more times in its service life.
In the optimum design formulation it is assumed that all these costs are dependent on a
single parameter: the nominal resistance design, which is expressed in terms of wind pressure
over an exposed area. Then, a parameter of design is optimal if it minimizes the amount of
present value of the total costs of a structure or a system. As a result, optimal values are not
associated with constant return periods. Indeed, the optimization leads to a situation that is
intuitively a design rule: in areas of low wind danger, where a structure design against wind
actions is relatively cheap, the design is an optimum for return periods higher than those that
would be used in areas of greater danger.
In the present study, the methodology proposed in the pioneering work by Esteva [6],
initially applied for seismic regionalization of the Mexican territory, has been followed to find
optimal wind velocities for design. According to this document, it is considered that a variable of
design is optimal if it minimizes the amount of expected costs from the decision of using
precisely that value design.
In the following paragraphs, the two components of the total cost of a structure during its
service life are discussed.

INITIAL COST
The following variation for the initial construction cost, CI (v) , is adopted,

C0 if v v0
CI (v)
(1)
C 0 C R (v v0 ) if v v0

Where:

v Wind speed for structural design,

v0 Wind speed that the structure should resist if it has not been designed against
wind actions,
C0 Structure cost even if this is not designed to withstand lateral wind loads, and
CR , Constants of the initial cost function.

If the Equation 1 is normalized with respect to C0 , we have:

CI (v) 1 if v v0
(2)
C0 1 K (v v0 )

if v v0

Where, evidently, K C R / C0 .
 EXPECTED LOSSES COST
As a proposed wind loss model, it is assumed that each time the design speed, v , is
exceeded, it will provide a total loss cost of the structure. This model is obviously too simple.
The real resistance of a structure is, in general terms, uncertain but has an average resistance
higher than the nominal resistance that arises when adopting a value of speed design. Thus, when
the nominal design wind speed is exceeded, not necessarily a total loss is presented, and can only
be given a probabilistic estimation on the value of the loss. Moreover, it is conceivable that even
if the demand does not exceed the nominal wind speed design, partial failures are presented. This
would require the development of functions of vulnerability and its formal inclusion in the
calculation of the losses.
However, the optimization process was carried out only to determine relative levels of
expected costs between structures in different parts of the country. Because of this, it was
considered that the use of a more refined model would not achieve substantial improvements.
According to Rosenblueth [7], if it is assumed that wind hazard follows a Poisson
process, and if the updated value of money is properly described by an exponential function, the
present value of the expected losses, EVP (v ) , when a structure is designed to resist the wind
speed v , is:

(v )
EVP (v ) CP (v ) (3)

Where:

CP (v ) Cost of the losses generated by wind actions,

(v ) Rate of the exceeding demand that produces a structural failure when it has
been designed for a wind speed v , and
Annual net rate of discount of the value of money.

As indicated by Ordaz [8], the cost of loss includes more than that of just building
damage; since the loss of buildings affects the economy performance in a general way, the total
losses are greater than just the material losses. Taking this into account, it is proposed that:

CP ( v ) CI ( v ) (1 Q ) (4)

Where CI (v) is the initial cost, given in the Equation 1, and Q is a proportional factor
of the initial cost that measures the importance of losses in buildings.

Substituting the value given for CP (v ) in Equation 4 in Equation 3 yields

(v )
EVP (v ) CI (v ) (1 Q ) (5)

TOTAL COST
 The objective cost to be minimized is the total cost, CT (v) , which is given by

(v )
CT (v) CI (v) EVP(v) CI (v) 1 (1 Q) (6)

Or,

CT (v) CI (v) (v )
1 (1 Q) (7)
C0 C0

Where CI (v ) / C 0 is given by Equation 2. In Figure 4 a qualitative drawn of Equation 7

is shown.

Figure 4: Optimization of the total cost of a structure

In a similar manner to the Equation 7, the total cost can be written also as function of the
base shear as follows:

CT ( S ) CI ( S ) (S )
1 (1 Q ) (8)
C0 C0

Where S is the base shear of the structure. In Figure 5 it is shown the relation between
the initial cost and the design base shear for a steel pole supporting structure. This figure was
obtained designing the pole following the commonly used allowable stress design criteria for
different intensities of wind velocities and varying the thickness with constant external diameter.
Then, from Equation 2 and the slope of the straight part, values for K and can be deduced. It
is evident that in this case 1 , but it will necessary to evaluate these parameters depending of
the type of structure.

In the next paragraph it will be explained how the parameters K and are used to
elaborate an optimum base shear map focused to combine different hazards as will be the seismic
effect in Mexico.
 Figure 5: Initial cost normalized versus base shear

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING WIND VELOCITIES FOR OPTIMAL DESIGN

In the following paragraphs, calculations that were performed to determine optimal wind
velocities for design are described in a general way.
It will be supposed that common structures are those whose loss is not particularly
undesirable and, furthermore, that their cost is not excessive compared to the value of the
construction itself. Also it will be supposed that the isotach maps in edition for the new Wind
Design Manual [9], are applicable to the type of terrain of interest and for common structures
associated to a return period of 50 year (see Figure 3). The procedure starts with an accepted
value of base shear as optimum value in a site subjected to a strong wind velocities. The selected
site was Cancun placed in the Caribbean coast of the Peninsula of Yucatan. For our steel pole
supporting structure, the base shear recommended as optimum was 120 ton. The procedure
follows an iteration scheme in which the minimum error between the recommended base shear
and the one obtained with the Equation 8, varying the value of Q, is found. The values of
K =0.05 and =1 (see Equation. 2) were obtained from Figure 5,.The procedure yielded a value
Q=10 and a base shear S =115 ton. For the selected site, this result is accepted.
In a practical point of view the Q value means that the cost of loss, additional to the
initial cost, is 10 times that of the initial cost. In this cost of loss may be considered namely the
cost of the losses due to the structural failure, including the possible business interruptions, as
well as the cost of repairs and the cost of losses of human life. As noted, these values are difficult
to quantify and its accuracy will not bring substantial improvements.
In this description of optimal design applied to wind danger, the most important
structures are essential structures, whose loss is particularly undesirable. In general, these may
not be particularly costly structures, but their loss is undesirable because they may become
unusable or reparation may be extremely high. Itis considered that initial costs remain the same
and there only are differences between the costs of future losses.
Using the values of K , , and Q, the map of base shear distribution in Mexico for the
particular case of a steel pole supporting structure was computed and is shown in Figure 6. The
corresponding wind speed was computed by using the relation between the wind velocity and the
base shear as follows:
 S
v (9)
0.5 C a Aexp

Where:

v Wind speed for structural design,

S Shear base of the structure,
Air density at sea level,
Ca Drag coefficient of the structure, and
Aexp exposed area of the structure, and

The respective map of wind velocity is shown in Figure 7. It can be observed that for
Q=10 it is obtained a good fitness for shear values and corresponding wind speeds. This kind of
presentation becomes relevant as it can be used to combine different types of hazards, as is the
case of seismic effect in Mexico, to provide practical information for rational use of structures
exposed to this type of hazards. This type of combination of hazards is in development to be
applied to latticed framed electrical substations structures.

35

30

25

20

15

Figures 6: Optimum base shears for Q = 10

-115 -110 -105 -100 -95 -90
 35

30

25

20

15

Figures 7: Wind speeds corresponding to optimum base shears for Q = 10

-115 -110 -105 -100 -95 -90

CONCLUSIONS
An overview of developments related to optimal wind design of structures has been presented.
The procedure leading to the adoption of intensities that result in minimum total costs has been
described, including start-up costs adding the future losses updated to the present value. These
intensities, known as optimums are the starting point for the probabilistic approach followed
throughout this investigation. The first result is an optimal base shear map related to pole
supporting structure for wind design purposes, which takes into account that the parameter that
controls the safety level are related to the cost of losses, or in other words, the importance of the
structure. Also this map can be applied for a combination of different hazards in terms of the
shear force. Finally the corresponding wind speed map to optimum base shear distribution was
presented.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the financial support of Mexican Electrical Utility (CFE) and
Drs. Luis Esteva and Mario Ordaz for the technical comments on the optimisation procedures.
Also, grateful to Eng. Rosa Ma. Soberanes and Eng. Ismael E. Arzola for preparing the isotach
and optimum maps.

REFERENCES
[1] CFE (Comisin Federal de Electricidad), Manual de Diseo de Obras Civiles Diseo por Viento,
Mxico, 1993.

[2] A. Lpez, C. J. Muoz, J. I. Vilar and E. R. Neri, Unificacin de criterios en el clculo de presiones,
flechas y tensiones para el diseo mecnico de lneas de transmisin, Informe Final IIE/42/18/I 02/F/95,
Mxico, 1995.
[3] J. Snchez-Sesma, A. Lpez, J. Aguirre and C. J. Muoz, Wind design for Mexico: A review of the
period 1964-2003, 11th International Conference on Wind Engineering (Lubbock, Texas, 2003), 2003.

[4] A. Lpez and C. J. Muoz, Actualizacin de isotacas en la repblica mexicana para fines de diseo
contra viento de lneas de transmisn y subtransmisin y subestaciones elctricas, Informe Final
IIE/42/13083/I01/F/DC, Mxico, 2007.

[5] L. Esteva, Seismic risk and seismic design decisions, Seminar on Seismic Design for Nuclear Power
Plants, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass., 1969.

[6] L. Esteva, Regionalizacin ssmica de Mxico para fines de ingeniera, Serie Azul de Instituto de
Ingeniera, 1970, pp.-246.

[7] E. Rosenblueth, Optimum design for infrequent disturbances, J. Structural Div., ASCE, 102, 1976,
pp. 1807-1825.

[8] M. Ordaz, J. M. Jara and S. K. Singh, Riesgo ssmico y espectros de diseo en el estado de Guerrero.
Informe conjunto del II-UNAM y el Centro de Investigacin Ssmica AC de la Fundacin Javier Barros
Sierra al Gobierno del estado de Guerrero, Instituto de Ingeniera, UNAM, proyectos 8782 y 9745,
Mxico, 1989.

[9] CFE (Comisin Federal de Electricidad), Manual de Diseo de Obras Civiles Diseo por Viento,
Mxico, updated version in edition.