Wind loads on film plastic greenhouses

Abstract Full-scale measurements of the surface pressures on film plastic clad greenhouses have been made under natural wind conditions. The structures, which are of curved arch construction, are representative of commercial greenhouses in the United Kingdom and include single and multi-span buildings. The geometrical effects on the pressure distribution and the presentation of the information in the form of a code of practice are discussed. The flexibility of the cladding material and its behaviour must be taken into consideration when calculating structural loads from the external pressure distribution. To verify the mode of load transfer, measurements of structural loads were made using strain gauges. The measured strains are compared with those calculated from the wind load distribution and the agreement between the calculated and measured strain confirms the calculation method. Power spectrum analysis of the strain measurements shows that the structure can be considered as quasi-static for design purposes.