Statistics of wind-induced vibrations for a flexible roof

The wind-induced vibration of flexible structures is an important topic in the field of wind engineering in terms of human comfort and safety and of global instability of cable structures. In particular, cable structures used for roofs, for example, cable net and membrane tensile structures, are very sensitive to wind-induced vibrations because the axial force in a cable depends on its geometry. When the cable changes its geometry during the vibrations, it may either lose its tension or the cable tension may exceed the cable's material strength. The wind-structure interaction on flexible roofs is most frequently investigated through numerical analyses using forces time-histories calculated by aerodynamic tests on rigid models. However, this approach fails to predict the effective dynamic deformation of the roof. This paper discusses results obtained from aeroelastic tests in a wind tunnel on flexible roofs. Signals were divided into slots and the statistics of peaks were estimated and discussed through the cumulative distribution function plot. Quantiles of 79%, 93% and 95% of the wind-induced acceleration were compared with the values provided in literature, codes and standards. The comparison showed that the values of accelerations provided in the literature are underestimated.