Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
(OP)
Any suggestions on the most appropriate way to determine the wind load on 42" high solid (glass) balcony balustrades of a 40 storey building with balconies surrounding the buildign at every floor? Would the Cf coefficients for "Walls above Grade" be appropriate (my feeling is that it may be overly conservative since there is only a limited distance between the balustrade and the building wall)or would soemthing else be more appropriate or is this one for a wind tunnel test?






RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
The National Building Code of Canada formula for wind loading is:
p = I Cp Cg Ce q
where
I= importance factor (generally 1.0)
Cp = pressure coefficient
Cg = gust factor (generally 2.5 for cladding)
Ce = exposure factor to account for surrounding terain roughness and height above grade to location where you are calculating the wind
q = basic wind pressure at 10 m above grade (in Toronto this is 0.53 kilonewtons per square metre)
Can you tell me what the formula in the Australian Code is, so that I know how to apply the results of the paper that you sent me?
I realize that I may have to convert the 3 s wind speed to the mean hourly wind speed on which the Canadian pressure values are based, but I have somewhere a formula for that.
Thannks
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
It would only complicate things to use the 'Australian formula'.
Pressure coefficients are the response of the structure or shape to the acting wind pressure, and therefore can be used directly with any code.
To do otherwise would mean that the results are not compatible with the rest of your wind calculations.
Your I, Ce & Cg are all modifiers to the basic wind pressure to obtain a site and element specific wind pressure.
The paper was found on 'Windtech Consultants' website, they appear to specialise in determining wind loads on buildings.
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade
A gust factor is defined (but not used directly)in relation to the dynamic response factor for dynamically wind sensitive structures, which is probably different to the NBCC definition.
AS1170.2 does use a local pressure factor for cladding and the like. This varies from 1 to 3, depending on location. However this would not be used with results from wind tunnel testing, as local effects have already been accounted for.
RE: Wind Load on Balcony Balustrade