Wind forces are responsible for more than US$ 10 billion per annum in insured damage. This cost can be mitigated, if not totally eliminated, by the application of wind engineering principles to ensure maximum safety at the lowest cost. This book will assist the practising engineer in understanding the principles of wind engineering, and provide guidance on the successful design of structures for wind loading by gales, hurricanes, typhoons, thunderstorm downdrafts and tornados. The principles of meteorology, statistics and probability, aerodynamics and structural dynamics are covered in the first half of the book. The second half describes, qualitatively and quantitatively, the nature of wind loads on all types of structures, including low-rise and tall buildings, large stadium roofs, towers and chimneys, bridges, transmission lines, free-standing walls and roofs, and antennae. Special features include coverage of extreme winds in tropical and sub-tropical climates, wind-tunnel testing techniques, a summary of the wind climates of over sixty countries, and detailed coverage of internal as well as external wind pressures on buildings. A comparison is made of the provisions for wind loads in six major national and international codes and standards. Examples and case studies are given in each chapter that make the book suitable for supporting university graduate courses in wind loading and response. Bridging the gap between wind and structural engineering, "Wind Loading of Structures" is essential reading for practising civil, structural and mechanical engineers, and graduate students of wind engineering.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. The nature of windstorms and wind-induced damage 2. Prediction of design wind speeds and structural safety 3. Strong wind characteristics and turbulence 4. Basic bluff-body aerodynamics 5. Dynamic response and effective static load distributions 6. Internal pressures 7. Laboratory simulation of strong winds and wind loads 8. Low-rise buildings 9. Tall buildings 10. Large roofs and sports stadiums 11. Towers, chimneys and masts 12. Bridges 13. Transmission lines 14. Other structures 15. Wind loading codes and standards Appendix A. Terminology Appendix B. List of symbols Appendix C. Probability distributions relevant to wind loading Appendix D. Extreme wind climates -- a world survey Appendix E. Some approximate formulas for natural frequencies Appendix F. Application of the effective static load method to a simple structure

Reviews

'A fine text for a wind engineering course and a useful reference for the practising wind engineer a must have for any wind engineer 's library.'

- The Wind Engineer