Historical review of wind speed maps in the Philippines for various purposes: toward further development and use as typhoon hazard maps

by Benito M. Pacheco, Nicetos E. Rosaria, Ronwaldo E. R. Aquino, and Lessandro Estelito O. GARCIANO, 2007, Proceedings of the 4th Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region (4CECAR), Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract: Different wind speed maps have been prepared and used in the Philippines over the last 35 years. The wind zone map of the National Structural Code of the Philippines gradually evolved due in part to the results of individual researches. Other wind maps have also been developed primarily for disaster preparedness and mitigation or for special applications like wind power development. This paper reviews the history and the current issues confronting the development of a new wind zone map of the Philippines. Discussion on the future directions for improving and updating this map is also presented. The next version of the wind zone map can be considered part of a bigger set of ‘typhoon hazard maps’ that can be used for ‘typhoon engineering’ and disaster reduction efforts in the country.

Keywords: wind speed map, wind zone map, National Structural Code of the Philippines, typhoon hazard map