Database-Assisted Design of Low-Rise Buildings for Wind Loads: Recent Developments and Comparisons With ASCE/SEI 7-05

Published

May 17, 2007

Author(s)

Joseph A. Main

Abstract

While specialized wind tunnel tests are routinely conducted in the design of high-rise buildings, constraints on project budgets and timelines generally do not permit wind tunnel testing in the design of low-rise buildings. Instead, simplified wind load cases such as those in ASCE/SEI Standard 7-05 are typically used. Database-assisted design (DAD) is a methodology for analysis and design of structures that makes direct use of pressure time histories measured in the wind tunnel, with a view to achieving structures that are more risk-consistent and potentially more economical. To facilitate more widespread use of the DAD approach for low-rise buildings, an aerodynamic database is being assembled at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), containing measured pressure time histories for a large number of gable-roofed building models with various dimensions. This paper will present recent progress at NIST in the development and implementation of the DAD methodology for low-rise buildings. In addition to its potential for direct application in design, the DAD methodology also holds promise to facilitate assessment and improvement of current wind load standards such as those in ASCE 7. To that end, this paper will also present comparisons of peak structural actions computed using DAD with those resulting from the simplified wind load cases in ASCE 7-05.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the ASCE Structures Congress | 2007 | ASCE

Conference Dates

May 17-20, 2007

Conference Title

ASCE Structures Congress

Pub Type

Conferences

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Citation

Main, J. (2007), Database-Assisted Design of Low-Rise Buildings for Wind Loads: Recent Developments and Comparisons With ASCE/SEI 7-05, Proceedings of the ASCE Structures Congress | 2007 | ASCE, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860697 (Accessed April 26, 2026)

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