Wind loads on attached canopies and their effect on the pressure distribution over arch-roof industrial buildings

Abstract Arch-roof industrial buildings are very wind sensitive. The current aerodynamic coefficients in wind codes do not contemplate the possibility of existence of canopies attached to the buildings. This paper presents the results of an investigation on the influence exerted by canopies on the static wind actions on arch-roof industrial buildings. Six scale models of these arch-roof buildings were tested, with five types of canopies attached. Three of these canopies were instrumented and the static wind pressures were measured. The tests were done at the boundary layer wind tunnel of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. The results show that the aerodynamic coefficients for the roof are not affected by the canopies, in the case of axial incidence. However, the influence on the pressure distribution is noticeable for wind incidence perpendicular to the main axis of the arch roofs and for other incidences as well. This influence is discussed in the paper. The aerodynamic coefficients for the design of the arch-roofs, with and without the attached canopies are given. Aerodynamic coefficients for design of the canopies are also suggested. Furthermore, the paper discusses the relation between the magnitude of the canopy design forces and the canopy width, as well as the relation between the canopy height location and the height of the building wall. The results were compared with design recommendations from previous work of Jancauskas and Holmes (in: US National Conference on Wind Engineering, Proceedings, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, 1985) and Jancauskas and Eddleston (in: International Conference on Wind Engineering, Fotodruck J. Mainz, Aachen, 1987).