Experimental investigation of wind pressure characteristics and aerodynamic optimization of a large-span cantilevered roof

Abstract Cantilevered roof is particularly vulnerable to wind because high suction loads often occur on the rooftop due to flow separation. However, wind load characteristics associated with cantilevered roof have not been fully understood. In this paper, a 1/100 scale model of a cantilevered roof, over a grandstand, has been tested in a turbulent boundary layer flow, with particular emphasis on characterizing the wind pressure distribution on the cantilevered roof, and assessing the performance of several aerodynamic optimization devices. The results indicate that large wind suction generally occurs near the windward edge on rooftop surface. The effect of approaching wind direction is evident, which can influence the distribution pattern and value of wind pressure. For the effect of roof inclination, the down-sloping roof is found to be more appropriate since it results in most significant reduction in mean wind pressure, as well as the net lifting and bending moment coefficients. Furthermore, it is shown that adding a vented leading edge slot can effectively reduce the rooftop wind suctions. The maximum reduction in mean and peak suction loads is respectively 30% and 45%.