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The ASCE/SEI Wind Effects Booklet

Conference Paper · April 2005

DOI: 10.1061/40753(171)131

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 The ASCE/SEI Wind Effects Booklet

Leighton Cochran, PhD CPEng MASCE1

1
CPP Inc., 1415 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524 USA; PH (970) 221
3371; FAX (970) 221 3124; email: lcochran@cppwind.com

Abstract

The ASCE/SEI Wind

Effects Booklet Task
Committee is developing a
booklet, which will
familiarize structural
engineers, architects, builders
and inspectors with the
various ways in which the
wind can influence the design
and construction of their
projects (Figure 1). The
common queries that are
often posed by people new to
the various aspects of wind
engineering will be readily Figure 1: Worldwide insured losses from various sources
addressed in this brief and showing the dominance of wind [after Walker, 2003a & b].
simple booklet. The intent is
that the text and figures will illustrate the
complex phenomena of wind/structure
interaction in a less technical fashion
than ASCE members are typically used
to seeing in their professional lives. In
this manner, it is hoped that the booklet
will be useful in explaining wind-related
issues to clients, architects, builders and
owners. This will allow the structural
engineers’ requirements to be more
readily understood by other members of
the project team. It is likely that the
ASCE/SEI Wind Effects Booklet will be Figure 2: Hanger after Hurricane Andrew in
of value in the educational engineering 1992 [after Tom Smith].
and architecture arenas as well. The
reader will see the nature of various extreme wind types (hurricanes, tornados,
downbursts etc.) and how designers try to codify their impact on the anthropogenic
environment. The following discussion will outline the topics to be presented in the
ASCE/SEI Wind Effects Booklet and give some credit to the authors who have
contributed to it. At the time of the
2005 Structures Congress in New
York City the Wind Effects Booklet
should be going through the peer-
review process.

Outline of the ASCE/SEI Booklet

Chapter One introduces the

reader to how wind can damage
engineered and non-engineered
structures such as in Figures 2 and 3,
as well as how flow around buildings Figure 3: Devastation of Cyclone Tracy in
influences their everyday use. This Darwin, Australia, 1974 [after Joe Minor].
latter discussion touches on topics
as varied as natural ventilation,
ambient air quality, pedestrian-
wind comfort, and even the spray
from fountains and other water
features. The conclusion of this
chapter illustrates how engineers
and responsible authorities attempt
to deal with design wind loads
within the existing regulations and
building codes. Figure 4: Common hurricane tracks [after Simiu
and Scanlan, 1996].
Chapter Two moves on to discuss
the various types of wind storms that the
built environment has to withstand: the
boundary-layer flow of the traditional
synoptic strong wind, the more complex
approximation to a boundary-layer flow of
the hurricane (some typical worldwide
hurricane tracks are shown in Figure 4),
the outflow from a severe thunderstorm,
and the high-curvature swirling flow of a
substantial tornado. Each phenomenon is
discussed from the perspective of the
causative atmospheric science through to Figure 5: Increased internal pressure is
caused by a windward window failure (not
how designers deal with the issues shown) overloading the rear unreinforced
resulting from each mechanism. blockwork wall (Hurricane Andrew in
1992). Wind was from left to right.
Chapter Three describes how external and internal pressures load the façade or roof
of a building, and what the impact of flying debris can do to the integrity of the
building envelope after an initial failure (Figure 5). Both tall and short buildings are
discussed, as well as the influence of HVAC systems on the assumed net façade
pressures. The methodology used by many building codes to accommodate cladding
pressures is also discussed. Lastly, some recent research into the flight characteristics
of various debris geometries (round compact items, large area flat items and rod-like
items) is presented.

Chapter Four focuses on the wind loads when

they are transferred from the external skin to the
structural system within the building. Issues
critical to the structural engineer such as
resonance, torsional loads, cross-wind response
and along-wind response are highlighted.
Additionally, a variety of aerodynamic strategies
used to reduce the dynamic and static responses
are outlined. Since the structural engineer rarely
contributes to the shape of a new building at the
conception stage this discussion should be
Figure 6: The generic structural
directed by the engineer to the architect and system loads caused by strong
developer for their use during the massing design winds on a typical tall building.
phase. As such, all members of the design team
can benefit from the insights of Chapter Four. Lastly, some condominiums in the
hurricane regions of the USA are now being designed for “vertical evacuation”, and
so the design of large and small storm shelters is discussed. These may be as diverse
as a specially designed closet in a dwelling to a dedicated concrete parking structure.

Chapter Five discusses when the designer might wish to consider using a wind tunnel,
rather than the relevant wind-loading
code. The data that may be collected
via physical modeling is discussed
and includes: pressures, forces,
moments, local velocities for
pedestrian conditions, and snow
loads on flat a low-slope roof
surfaces. The realistic impact of
proximate, complex terrain may be
reliably investigated via the wind
tunnel as well. The last portion of
Chapter Five outlines some
frequently asked questions about Figure 7: A 1:400, lightweight, balsawood,
wind-tunnel testing and when the building model installed on the high-frequency
design team might consider it force balance within a city turntable.
necessary for a new development.
The booklet concludes with a small glossary of terms and a bibliography of
recommended further reading.

Goals of the ASCE/SEI Booklet

It is hoped that engineers, architects, builders, inspectors and owners will all
find value in various aspects of this simple document. The structural engineer may
have a fine grasp of how the wind interacts with his building, but the architect and
owner may need to have some the concepts presented in a simpler visual form. The
text and figures in the ASCE/SEI Booklet should assist to bring the concepts to the
whole design team, as well as the local responsible authority. To date the title for the
booklet has not been chosen, but something straightforward like “Wind and
Buildings” or “Wind Issues in the Design of Buildings” are likely candidates.

Contributing Authors and Affiliations

The Task Committee for the ASCE/SEI Wind Effects Booklet operates under
the auspices of the SEI Wind Effects Committee and many people on both
committees contributed text and figures to this effort. Indeed, a few of the authors
listed below were not on the Task Committee, but still volunteered to contribute from
as far away as Hong Kong and Australia. Thanks go out to all these people, as well as
those who are reviewing the draft prior to publication by ASCE.

Richard Aynsley Big Ass Fans, Lexington, USA.

Daryl Boggs Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Jack Cermak Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Arthur Chiu University of Hawaii, Moana, USA.
Leighton Cochran Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Roy Denoon Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Elizabeth English Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
John Holmes Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
Noriaki Hosoya Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Peter Irwin Rowan Williams Davies Irwin Inc., Guelph, Canada.
Anurag Jain Hart Weidlinger, Santa Monica, USA.
Nick Jones Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA.
Kenny Kwok University of Science/Technology, Hong Kong, China
Chris Letchford Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Marc Levitan Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
Bill Melbourne Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Joseph Minor Texas A&M University, Kingsville, USA.
Jon Peterka Cermak Peterka Petersen Inc. Fort Collins, USA.
Doug Smith Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Ted Stathopoulos Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Arn Womble Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
Jiming Xie Rowan Williams Davies Irwin Inc., Guelph, Canada.
 References

Minor, J.E. (1995). Private Communication.

Simiu, E. and Scanlan, R.H. (1996). “Wind Effects on Structures: an Introduction to

Wind Engineering”, Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Smith, T. (1993). Private Communication.

Walker, G.R. (2003a). “Wind Disasters and the Insurance Industry”, Proceedings of
the Eleventh International Conference on Wind Engineering, Lubbock, Texas,
pages 2293-2300.

Walker, G.R. (2003b). Private Communication.

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