Can wind load analysis be ignored for buildings lower than 10 meters as per ACI and EC2?

[JCdzx]

Hi all professionals,

With span length sometimes ranges from 4m to 6m, the buildings with 3 storey height (3m per storey), the column size 200mm x 200mm almost become like a typical dimension for contractors in Cambodia to build. Obviously, if wind load is to be incorporated in the analysis, these buildings fail, at least not as per ACI code. However, many existing buildings with such dimensions having been built since the 80s and 90s still stand there, it's difficult to convince the owner as the exisiting buildings certainly prove that 200mm x 200mm does work.

Can wind load analysis be ignored for buildings lower than 10 meters?

 

[dik]

The incremental coefficient of exposure kicks in at 30', so I would suggest that is not the case... else, Ce = 0.0 and not 1.0.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[BAretired]

Can wind load analysis be ignored for buildings lower than 10 meters?

Hell, no!!!

 

[ThomasH]

Can wind load analysis be ignored for buildings lower than 10 meters?

That depends on what you mean by "wind load analysis". You can probably determine the wind load reasonably accurate without a complex analysis. But to assume that there is no windload at all, I would say that is wrong. That would mean that persons on the ground would never feel the wind blowing and that is in my experience not correct .

 

[JLNJ]

Maybe Cambodia needs to change their "typical" column sizes in order to build properly robust buildings.

 

[RWW0002]

What are the typical construction materials in Cambodia? If concrete frames infilled with concrete or clay masonry, then it is likely that, right or wrong, the masonry is resisting a large portion of the wind shear through shear-wall action. In my opinion the buildings should still be designed to resist the wind (and seismic?) loads imparted to them, but if you are looking for the answer to "how have these buildings performed ok in the past 20 years" I think the masonry is the answer..

 

[Lomarandil]

That's exactly it RWW. Traditional "pteah lveng" and split villa homes in Cambodia historically have fairly regular plan layouts, and the frames are infilled with clay masonry. While they're not detailed or constructed specifically as shear walls, there certainly is some shear wall behavior occurring. Not enough that it would calc out for a design wind event (even if detailed), but enough for your average storm.

As clear spans increase, open floor plans become popular, and building layouts generally grow more complex (due to market demands), these buildings will become more and more prone to damage when loaded laterally. Or even just as infill walls are knocked out of existing structures for renovations.

(hi JC)