WIND ACTION ON BUILT

ENVIRONMENT

THE ROLE / BASES OF DESIGN STA NDARDS

(SANS 10160-3: 2018)

Adam Goliger

Contents

Part 1: Background to wind effects / damage/

loadings principles, wind climate etc.

Part 2: Overview of SANS 10160-3:2018 (scope,

principles, terrain characteristics, wind speed profile,
determination of dynamic pressure, surrounding
influences, internal and external pressure
coefficients, forces)

Part 3: Calculation example

Part 1

Background to wind effects and

loadings

1
 All structures and elements,
subjected to wind flow,
generate loads which can
sometimes be detrimental or
destructive

Wind Engineering Science -

initiated by the Tacoma Bridge collapse

Complete devastation
(Albertynsville, Nov 1952)

2
 Industrial type,
(fully engineered)
structures

masts, poles, towers

3
 In Civil Engineering -unique
character of wind action / loadings

• predominantly horizontal
component
• vertical – upwards (as opposed
of downwards)
• typically (not always) smaller
magnitude than weight

…other characteristics
1) much more difficult to predict (than other loads)
2) i.e. lower confidence levels – reflected by recent
increase of partial loading factor from 1,3 to 1,6
3) affected by climatic characteristics of wind
4) determined by the aerodynamic form (geometry
and ‘porosity’)
5) due to level of unknown (item 3), and infinite
permutations of building forms (item 2) – heavy
reliance on statistics

4
 Overall effects vs local loadings

The role of wind loading codification – is to account for wind action

due to variety of events of different origin /characteristics…

…by presenting a rational / simplified and statistically sound

way of application…

5
 … to a spectrum of structures with an infinite variability of
aerodynamic characteristics and spatial relationships …

Wind loadings: combined

influences of two factors:
• the description of free-stream dynamic pressure approaching
the selected element of a structure (basic wind speed, terrain
categories, profiles, topographical influences etc.) and
• rate in which the structure converts it to pressures / loads i.e.
pressure / force coefficients (e.g. geometrical form, size and
aerodynamic solidity)

Load = f (wind description & aerodynamics of structures)

Two approaches to determine loadings

- Ç
L = f ( P, C p )

SANS10160 - 2010
Ç -

L = f ( P, C ) p

6
 Nature of wind loading –
correlation of flow

Loading principle

The engineering wind-loading science

is, in principle, based and related to
the occurrence of large-scale mature
storms – conditions of ‘neutral
stability’ – (applicability of wind
parameters)

Boundary layer profile – relevant to frontal cyclones - design

basis for all wind loading manuals / standards

7
 Thunderstorms
(radar image)

Thunderstorm anvil

Outflow /
leader gust
typically most
critical, short
duration up to
few minutes

In unstable atmospheric conditions, associated with intense thunderstorms

tornadoes, downbursts, and microbursts can develop

8
 Distribution of tornadic events 1905-1997 – very small area
affected by tornadoes – i.e. small probability
20

Zimbabwe

Mozambique
Botswana
Northern Province

25 GP
Mpumalanga
North West Province

Swaziland

KZN
Northern Cape Free State

Lesotho
30

Key

Eastern Cape tornadoes

GP = Gauteng Province
Western Cape KZN = KwaZulu-Natal

35 0 25 100 200 km

20 25 30 35

Mean annual rate of occurrence (per year / per km sq.)

Probability of wind speed occurrence point

structure