Abstract

A wind tunnel study was performed to examine wind loads on canopies attached to the walls of low-rise buildings. A model of a building with an attached canopy of geometric scale of 1∶100
1∶100
was constructed and tested in a simulated open terrain exposure. The attached canopy model was equipped with pressure taps at both upper and lower surfaces to allow for simultaneous monitoring of wind pressures and evaluation of the overall load. A total of 63 different building/attached canopy configurations were tested for 28 wind directions. Pressure and correlation coefficients were generated to provide a better understanding of how the wind-loading patterns at upper and lower surfaces of the attached canopy contribute to the net loading effect. Current design guidelines and building code and standard provisions are assessed and compared with the experimental results of the present study. The influence of the geometry of each configuration on the experimental net pressure coefficients was assessed and recommendations for design wind load standards and codes of practice are made.