Codification study of wind-induced loads on canopies attached to mid-rise buildings

Abstract

Wind-induced loads on canopies attached to low-rise buildings have been investigated in the past and formed the basis for design recommendations in the latest wind standards and building codes of practice. The scope of this study was to extend the investigation to canopies that are attached to taller buildings and generate additional recommendations on the design load calculation of such non-structural attachments.Various geometrical parameters such as canopy length, tilt angle, installation location and building height along with wind direction were considered in the experimental protocol. Therefore, several configurations of a 1:20 scale model were tested in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel. Pressures on both the upper and lower surfaces of the canopy were measured for different wind directions and surface and net mean and peak pressure coefficients are presented. The results indicated that an important flow mechanism influencing the peak pressures on the attached canopies is the turbulence generated by the canopy and building edges at the wind directions parallel to the canopy's parent wall. From a codification point of view, the area-averaged coefficients versus effective area curves were obtained and enveloped, considering all model configurations, to generate design area-averaged coefficients curves. These codified design curves can be incorporated into wind standards and building codes of practice for the purpose of designing attached canopies to mid-rise buildings.