Wind tunnel study of wind loading on rectangular louvered panels

Drag forces on a rectangular louvered panel, both as a free-standing structure and as a component in a generic low-rise building model, were obtained in a wind tunnel study. When tested in a building model, the porosity ratio of the wall opposite the louvered panel was varied to investigate its effect on the loading of the louvered panel. Both mean and pseudo-steady drag coefficients were obtained. Comparisons with the provisions for porous walls in contemporary loading standards indicate that for some opposite wall porosity ratios, the standards specify significantly different wind loads (larger and smaller) than obtained from this wind tunnel study.