Design of Structures
Wind speed is a common factor in the design of structures and buildings around the world. The wind speed is often the governing factor in the "lateral" design of a structure and is used by professional engineers and designers.
In the United States, the wind speed used in design is often referred to as a "3-second gust" which is the highest sustained gust over a 3 second period having a probability of being exceeded per year of 1 in 50 (ASCE 7-05). Windspeedbyzip maps out the design wind speed as suggested by ASCE 7-05 for the United States. This design wind speed is accepted by most building codes in the United States and oftentimes governs the lateral design of buildings and structures. In Canada, reference wind pressures are used in design and are based on the "mean hourly" wind speed having a probability of being exceeded per year of 1 in 50. The reference wind pressure (q) is calculated in Pascals using the following equation (ref: NBC 2005 Structural Commentaries - Part 4 of Div. B, Comm. I): q=(1/2)pV**2 where p is the air density in kg/m**3 and V is wind speed in m/s.
Historically, wind speeds have been reported with a variety of averaging times (fastest mile, 3-second gust, 1-minute and mean hourly for example) which designers may have to take into account. To convert wind speeds from one averaging time to another, the Durst Curve (Ref: ASCE 7-05 commentary Figure C6-4) was developed which defines the relation between probable maximum wind speed averaged over t seconds, V(t), and mean wind speed over one hour V(3600).
Read more about this topic: Wind Speed
Famous quotes containing the words design of, design and/or structures:
“Humility is often only the putting on of a submissiveness by which men hope to bring other people to submit to them; it is a more calculated sort of pride, which debases itself with a design of being exalted; and though this vice transform itself into a thousand several shapes, yet the disguise is never more effectual nor more capable of deceiving the world than when concealed under a form of humility.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“The reason American cars don’t sell anymore is that they have forgotten how to design the American Dream. What does it matter if you buy a car today or six months from now, because cars are not beautiful. That’s why the American auto industry is in trouble: no design, no desire.”
—Karl Lagerfeld (b. 1938)
“The philosopher believes that the value of his philosophy lies in its totality, in its structure: posterity discovers it in the stones with which he built and with which other structures are subsequently built that are frequently better—and so, in the fact that that structure can be demolished and yet still possess value as material.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)