Database-assisted design methodology to predict wind-induced structural behavior of a light-framed wood building

Published Date
February 2011, Vol.33(2):674–684, doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2010.11.028

Author 

• Akwasi F. Mensah ^a
• Peter L. Datin ^a
• David O. Prevatt ^a,,
• Rakesh Gupta ^b
• John W. van de Lindt ^c

• aDepartment of Civil and Coastal Engineering, 365 Weil Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States
• bDepartment of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, 114 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
• cDepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, United States

Received 15 August 2010. Revised 1 October 2010. Accepted 16 November 2010. Available online 16 December 2010. 

Abstract

This study investigates the applicability of the database-assisted design (DAD) methodology to predict structural reactions in a light-framed wood structure subjected to fluctuating wind pressures. Structural influence functions were determined on a 1/3-scale light-frame wood structure, which was then subjected to a wind flow, while the surface pressures and structural reactions at roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connections were simultaneously recorded. There was a good agreement between the DAD-predicted structural reactions and experimentally measured reactions, confirming that the DAD method is suitable for predicting the structural reactions in light-frame wood buildings. Subsequently structural reaction time histories at several connections within the building were generated using a 1:50 scale wind tunnel model of the structure and the peak structural reactions determined using the DAD method and previously obtained influence functions. When the DAD-estimated reactions were compared with reactions predicted by the ASCE 7-05 main wind force resisting system (MWFRS) method, they showed the ASCE 7 reactions were highly non-conservative(i.e. smaller than the DAD method predictions), by as much as 39% at the gable end truss. The components and cladding method showed reasonable agreement with the DAD method for the gable end and first interior truss reactions but it too underestimated the reaction loads at the second and third interior trusses by 30% and 12% respectively.

Keywords

Wind engineering

Wind load

Database assisted design (DAD)

Light-framed wood structure

Influence functions

Wind tunnel

Structural load paths

---

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 7.

Fig. 8.

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.

Fig. 11.

Fig. 12.

Fig. 13.

 Table 1

Table 1.

Fig. 14.

Fig. 15.

Fig. 16.

Fig. 17.

Fig. 18.

Fig. 19.

Fig. 20.

Fig. 21.

• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author.
  
  

For further details log on website :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141029610004682