Jale Daucakacaka 
Fiji needs to maintain its wind load standard of 66 meters per second to ensure it does not disadvantage locals who want to build their homes and properties to national standards.
Engineers Fiji Secretary Roveen Permal says the wind load standards are a national policy that aids in future-proofing our homes and properties from tropical cyclones, and any changes to this code will hurt the budget of average person and investor.
Permal says structural demands on buildings will continue to surge with the increasing severity of tropical cyclones, but authorities should maintain existing codes and standards.
“To increase the wind speed, that will affect the cost of the project. At this point in time, we want the development to keep going. If there is no evidence that buildings have failed because of the current wind speed, there is no point to change it. Everything has been working fine over the years.”
Engineers Fiji Secretary Roveen Permal.
Permal adds Engineers Fiji has written to the Ministry of Trade to raise its concerns about plans to improve the national wind load standards.
“If we change 66 to 75 meters per second, then the windows, the mullions, roof framing, everything changes, suddenly the cost of the building goes high.”
The wind load stand is being codified in the Fiji National Building Code, which is currently being assessed by a task force headed by a Canadian firm, Wavefront Planning and Design, in conjunction with the Ministry of Infrastructure and funded by the Asian Development Bank.
We have sent questions to the Ministry and have yet to receive a response.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
