RANS Simulation of Wind Loading on Vaulted Canopy Roofs

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RANS Simulation of Wind Loading on Vaulted Canopy Roofs

Amaya-Gallardo, Edmundo / Pozos-Estrada, Adrián / Gómez, Roberto

The use of isolated vaulted canopy roofs (VCR) for schools, emerging shelters, sports and recreational centers, among others, is quite popular worldwide. However, the design of such structures to resist wind effects is usually a problem due to the scarce technical information available in the literature. As an alternative resource, in the present research, wind effects on this type of structures immersed in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are studied numerically by using the 3D Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) approach considering different aspect ratios and wind directions. Since wind tunnel testing information for these structures is limited, experimental results of a Gabled Canopy Roof (GCR) as well as some experimental results for VCR are used as a validation source for the numerical models. Based on this validation, the simulation results of the mean wind loads of VCR appear to be reasonably good. The numerical results are used to study the mean net-pressure coefficients (C_PN) over the VCR models and to establish the theoretical bases for coding them. It was found that the C_PN are very sensitive to the VCR curvature and wind direction (90°, 75°, and 60°), and to a less extent to the plan and elevation geometric ratios. Further, it was also found that the use of GCR C_PN for the design of VCR, as is usually done in professional practice, could lead to important differences in the magnitude of pressure coefficients and pressure distribution regarding actual VCR C_PN and its distribution. A detailed analysis of the C_PN for VCRs is presented.