Wind load effects and equivalent pressures on low-rise house roofs

Wind loads on the roof of a typical low-rise house are determined by carrying out a wind tunnel model study. The region near the windward gable end are subjected to the largest wind loads. The large suction pressures near the ridge for oblique approach winds exceed data given in AS1170.2. The mean and fluctuating wind pressures and load effects on the roof tributary supported by the second truss from the windward gable end (i.e. truss subjected to the largest wind loads) are analysed in detail. Smaller load effects are generally obtained by applying the covariance integration method with wind tunnel data, compared with values derived from using AS1170.2 data. The equivalent static pressure distributions obtained from the load–response-correlation method are generally smaller than the peak pressures derived from AS1170.2, except near the ridge for oblique approach winds.