Wind loading of structures

Insured damage from wind storms runs to roughly US$10 billion each year. Applying wind engineering principles can reduce that loss considerably, and the author shows practising engineers how to design buildings and other structures so they stay safe without unnecessary expense. The opening half lays the groundwork with meteorology, statistics and probability, aerodynamics, and structural dynamics.

The second half examines how wind acts on many kinds of structures, from low-rise and high-rise buildings to large stadium roofs, towers, chimneys, bridges, transmission lines, freestanding walls and roofs, and antennae. It explains these loads both descriptively and through quantitative analysis. Other notable material includes extreme winds in tropical and subtropical regions, wind-tunnel testing methods, a survey of wind climates across more than 50 countries, and a detailed treatment of both internal and external pressures on buildings. The book also compares the wind load provisions of six major national and international codes and standards.

Written for civil, structural and mechanical engineers, the book connects wind engineering with structural engineering practice.