b'BUILDING CODEdamage and resulting loss from rain, but that really misses the point. Disasters like the one in Saskatoon alter the lives and livelihoods of peoplefolks who are our neighbours.Andsomeofthemnever recover, lacking the resilience to cope 2 . Roofs should stay where they are built. As designers and constructors of roofs, we can do better. We must do better.We often think of wind as a phenom-enonthatpushes 3 .Treesbendbecause wind pushes against them. Waves crash onabeachbecausetheyaredrivenby wind. Sailboats ghost gracefully in a bay because wind presses against the sails. Alltrue,butnotallthereistoknow about wind.Wind is air moving from a place thatPhoto credit: CTV News (Saskatoon).has higher pressure to one that has lower pressure. 4Sometimes, this is a localizedTo resist those negative forces, bothCode matter, lets briefly examine Article phenomenon where a thermal carriesreplacementandnewmembraneroof1.1.1.1. through the lens of Code objec-warm air aloft, pulling cooler air in behindsystemsmustbedesignedsothatalltives, and then see what Article 1.1.1.1. it. Here on the south coast of Britishthe component materials in the systemmeans for roofing.Columbia, faster warming land massesare held together and securely attachedYou will recall what the Code is not 6 : pull cool air in from the water, creatingto the building structure, using provenit is not a quality assurance standard. At inflow winds; the reverse happens inpatternsofadhesives,fastenersorathe risk of sounding facetious, neither is late day as the land cools quicker thancombination of both. But how do youit an interior decorating guide. Its objec-thenearbysea.Microsystemsaboundknowwhatmakesthemproven?tivesarequitedefinedandestablishes in a region freckled with islands, largeHow can you avoid designing a futureminimumrequirementsforoccupant and small. Big weather patterns revolvecatastrophe,especiallywhenitstimeaccessibility, health and safety. Even then, around high- and low-pressure systemsto replace a roof? Lets answer each ofthe stated objectives of the Code (Division that develop both offshore and inland,those questions, beginning with the issueA, Part 2,Section2.2.Objectives) and when the low-pressure centre is veryof replacement roofing.do not apply to every type of building low, resulting winds from air pulled intogoverned by the Code (see Division A, it can be violent. The Building Code and Wind:Part 2, Section 2.1. Application).Inasmuch as wind pushes, it also pulls.Alterations and New Roofing Forexample,considerObjectiveOH1 Flowingoversurfaces,windcreatesAnyone who works with the Code knowsIndoor Conditions. In a nutshell, Objective OH1 negative pressure that can cause objectsthat it applies to new buildings. However,states that the Code intends to limit the tomove.Slopescausehorizontallyit does not apply only to new construc- probability that, as a result of the design flowingwindtodeflectupwardsandtion, a common misconception. It alsoor construction of the building, a person in around objects, but when wind strikescan be enforced for existing buildings.the building will be exposed to an unaccept-a building with flat roof areas, the flowWait,what?Yes,itcanbeappliedable risk of illness due to indoor condi-around these structures induces negativetoexistingbuildings.InDivisionA,tions because of contact with moisture pressure over the roof surface. PowerfulPart1(Compliance),Article1.1.1.1.(OH1.3). Said a different way, and framed suction action can occur, and if theApplication of this Code 5reads, Thisin the context of roof replacement, if the roof is not properly secured, the resultsCodeappliestod)analterationoffailure of an altered roof exposes building can be catastrophic. any building. Pretty much to the point,occupants to moisture, which could then isnt it? If you are still picking yourselfmake them ill, the Code applies to roofs 2 In my fourteen years working as an independent claimson existing buildings. adjuster, I met with countless people who suffered disas- up off the floor after reading that, take trous losses; some were the result of strong winds. Nota little heart. Not everything that mightDiving a little deeper, we can better everyone is able to cope with the aftermath of a disaster,constitute an alteration is covered by theunderstandthisbyexaminingthe even when insurance is ready to pay.Code. To discern what is and is not ameaning of key words in that sentence. 3 For another treatment of the subject, read I have a feeling Defined words in the Code are always were not in Kansas anymore, Toto; (https://www.rcabc. 5 British Columbia Building Code, Division A, Part 1 org/2018/07/17/wind-uplift/).Compliance, Objectives and Functional Statements:6 Understanding the British Columbia Building Code: its4 UCAR Centre for Science Education (https://scied.ucar. Section 1.1. General (https://free.bcpublications.ca/civix/ structure, purpose and meaning. Roofing BC, Volumeedu/learning-zone/how-weather-works/wind). document/id/public/bcbc2018/bcbc_2018dap1s11r2). 18, Number 1: Winter/Spring 2021.www.rcabc.org l15'