Wind Loads and Responses of Two Neighboring Dry Coal Sheds

Abstract

This paper discusses an investigation into the interference effects on the wind-induced responses of a dry coal shed structure used for depositing coal stacks. Two interference factors, a nearby shed and coal stacks inside the shed, are considered. A wind tunnel test was conducted to obtain wind pressure distributions on the roof surface of the shed, and the results are briefly analyzed. The characteristics of the wind-induced responses of the structure and the effects of interference factors are then illustrated. The paper places emphasis on wind-induced responses and interference factors variations, and points out the situations when the maximum interference effects occur. The effects of an adjacent shed and incident wind direction are more pronounced than the spacing of adjacent sheds and coal stacks inside the shed. The most unfavorable results appear when an oblique wind blows at 45° span-wise with no interfering shed nearby, but when there is low coal stack inside. Values of the interference factor are also slightly higher than 1.0 for the maximum absolute peak responses in all cases investigated. This indicates that interference conditions magnify the peak responses of an isolated roof only minimally.