Wind Loads on Single-Family Dwellings in Suburban Terrain: Comparing Field Data and Wind Tunnel Simulation

Components and cladding on residential structures continue to be damaged in high winds despite improvements to building codes. Modern wind design codes that are helping to prevent structural damage to buildings are not as effective in preventing building envelope failures. Since 1998, a unique collaborative effort between Clemson University, the University of Florida, and Florida International University called the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program (FCMP) has been collecting full-scale pressure and wind speed data on residential buildings in suburban areas. The program, sponsored by the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FDCA), was developed to increase our limited full-scale data available on wind loadings of low rise buildings — none of which was obtained during sustained hurricane force winds until this project. Another objective was to determine the validity of current design wind load values that are based on wind tunnel tests using open-country exposure. This serves as the primary motivation to study pressure variation on roofs of suburban houses. This paper presents results of the field data collection and analysis of pressure coefficient data from field experiments and wind tunnel results obtained at Clemson University's atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel.