A Falkland Island roof failure

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the failure of an accommodation block roof at the Mount Pleasant base on the Falkland Islands in October 2010. The author analyses the likely wind forces acting at the time of the failure and demonstrates how the failure of a simple rubber washer was the likely cause of the failure. The relevance of this incident to similar roof constructions in other parts of the world where prevailing wind speeds are lower is discussed, as is the effect of ageing on the building components. The author argues that although the wind speeds recorded in the Falklands are significantly higher than those shown in the current UK code, the UK figures have recently been revised and this process will, he argues, need to continue as the effects of climate change become apparent.