Software Practicalization for Analysis of Wind-Induced Vibrations of Large Span Roof Structures

Wind loads are key considerations in the structural design of large-span structures since wind loads can be more important than earthquake loads, especially for large flexible structures. The analysis of wind loads on large span roof structures (LSRS) requires large amounts of calculations. Due to the combined effects of horizontal and vertical winds, the wind-induced vibrations of LSRS are analyzed in this paper with the frequency domain method as the first application of method for the analysis of the wind response of LSRS. A program is developed to analyze the wind-induced vibrations due to a combination of wind vibration modes. The program, which predicts the wind vibration coefficient and the wind pressure acting on the LSRS, interfaces with other finite element software to facilitate analysis of wind loads in the design of LSRS. The effectiveness and accuracy of the frequency domain method have been verified by numerical analyses of practical projects.