Wind Effects on Roofs with High-Profile Tiles: Experimental Study

Abstract

Hurricane wind–induced damage to the roofs of residential buildings has raised concerns regarding design provisions and construction practices. Current code provisions on wind loads on roofs are mainly based on testing of building models that do not include the architectural details of roofing materials. Past research has indicated that net pressures on roof tiles can differ significantly from external pressures on bare roofs and depend on wind direction, the location of the tile, and whether the eaves are sealed. This study presents experimental pressure measurements that confirm existing findings and provide more extensive results on wind loads on high-profile roof tiles. Four different roof models with bare and tiled roof decks were tested. Pressures on the external surfaces of the tiles, within the cavity space, and in the joint space between two overlapping tiles were measured to evaluate their effects on the net peak pressures on the tiles. Area-averaged peak pressure coefficients obtained for bare and tiled roof decks were found to differ significantly. To develop vulnerability curves pertaining to roof tile damage in residential buildings, the test results were complemented by additional pressure data obtained in a wind tunnel and tile resistance data obtained from static uplift tests. The vulnerability study showed that applying the net wind uplift loading on tiles rather than external surface pressures only resulted in increased roof tile damage. Results are expected to differ for tile shapes not considered in this study. The test protocols presented in this study may be used to help develop tile-specific design guidelines.