Sunday, December 21, 2008

RE: wind load on fences/walls

Christopher,

High winds accompanying thunderstorms probably cause more damage than the
occasional tropical cyclone. Yet our wind loading codes don't really cover
the violent down drafts associated with such storms.

Also a tropical cyclone / hurricane is tracked for some 24hours before it
hits land, and is seasonal, whilst a thunderstorm lucky to get 15 minutes
warning and can occur throughout the year.

Yet required to design building as open in hurricane regions, windows
broken. Whilst in non-hurricane regions can assume building sealed. Yet at
the design wind speeds considered, those hanging baskets on the pergola are
going to destroy the window.


Regards
Conrad Harrison
B.Tech (mfg & mech), MIIE, gradTIEAust
mailto:sch.tectonic@bigpond.com
Adelaide
South Australia

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