Wind pressures on a large span canopy roof

Based on wind tunnel tests, this paper investigates the aerodynamic behavior of a large span canopy roof with elliptical plan and hyperbolic paraboloid shape. The statistics of pressure coefficients and the peak factor distributions are calculated for the top and bottom faces of the roof, and the Gaussian or non-Gaussian characteristics of the pressure time-histories in different areas of the roof are discussed. The cross-correlation of pressures at different positions on the roof, and between the top and bottom faces is also investigated. Combination factors are also evaluated to take into account the extreme values of net loads, relevant to the structural design of canopies.