Wind loading of large low buildings

Abstract

The paper aims to define an interior region on large low buildings within which lower external uplift pressures can be used for design rather than those recommended by the 1985 Supplement to the National Building Code of Canada. An extensive data base of pressures measured over tributary areas representative of those used for column design has been measured using 1:500 scale models of buildings ranging from 3500 to 90 000 m2 in plan area. Summary curves based on all the data have been determined and compared with data from other sources in the literature. An overall recommendation for specified pressure coefficients at various distances from the edge of nearly flat-roofed buildings is presented, which includes a reduction in the external loads beyond five roof heights by a factor of 2.5. Key words: wind pressure, wind loading, large low buildings, tributary area.