Full-scale aerodynamic testing of a loose concrete roof paver system Article

Aly, AM, Bitsuamlak, GT, Chowdhury, AG. (2012). Full-scale aerodynamic testing of a loose concrete roof paver system . ENGINEERING STRUCTURES, 44 260-270. 10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.05.008

cited authors

  • Aly, AM; Bitsuamlak, GT; Chowdhury, AG

authors

abstract

  • The paper presents an experimental study to assess wind induced pressure on full-scale loose concrete roof pavers by using Wall of Wind, a large-scale hurricane testing facility at Florida International University. Experimental tests were conducted on full-scale concrete pavers mounted on a test building to evaluate wind-induced external and underneath pressures acting on the pavers. The study shows that roof pavers could be subjected to significant uplifting wind forces due to negative pressures. In corner and edge areas of the roof, pressure differences produced net uplift on the pavers, at design wind speed, that was greater than the individual weight of the pavers. The study provides new insights by testing the actual roofing material at high wind speeds in a controlled environment and also showed that locking the pavers together can mitigate the issues at corners and edges by increasing the weight of the pavers that acts together to counterbalance the net uplift pressure. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

publication date

  • November 1, 2012

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 260

end page

  • 270

volume

  • 44