Hello all,

I am a student in my 4th year of civil undergrad. With a group, we have to work on the structural design of
a multistorey building. We have created a mock-up company and have received an architectural drawing for
the building. Right now we are doing preliminary report, and for that we need to present different design
alternatives. I have been assigned the task of calculating wind loads, snow loads (already done), dead
+ liveand their distributions (Loading cases I guess?).
I have all the data resources available to me for the location of the building.
I have been trying to figure this one out for a while and I can't. National Building Code of Canada does not
make it clear what I am supposed to do. I need help with figuring out what to do with Wind Loads.
Building Location: Vaughan (Woodbridge). It has two roofs, a main one and then a mechanical penthouse
that also houses the elevator shaft in one of its corners. We are thinking of making shear walls around the
elevator shaft. Or steel bracing.
The building is surrounded by rough terrain on north and east. West side - highway and then rough terrain.
South side - 2 small warehouses located about 500 m away and that's it, the rest is open terrain.
SO do I design for open terrain?
I have to follow Figure I-15 for the case of my building, it's a high-rise.
I am having a hard time figuring out coefficients.
Do we calculate wind load at different heights? like at every floor? Do we take each face and calculate the
windward pressure? Do we calculate wind pressure for the whole building, and then for main structural
elements? What is the difference in calculation?
The gust factor Cg is 2.0 for the whole building, +-2.5 for small cladding and small elements. The internal
gust factor, Cgi, is 2.0. Where and how do I make use of this internal factor?
For the pressure coefficient, Cp, I can make an assumption and get the coefficient for the windward and
leeward sides. How does the INTERNAL pressure coefficient fit into this? My building falls into category 1.
Cpi= -0.15 to 0. Why is it a range?
Do I take each building face and calculate the windward, leeward and sideface pressures? Then do I design
for the maximum? What about the leeward face? when I take that face as a windward, what do I do in the
very end? subtract leeward from windward to get overall effect on that face? How does internal pressure fit
into all this?
The code gives specific gust factors and pressure coefficients for small elements or cladding. Isn't the whole
building cover cladding? Glass and concrete/aluminum cladding? Why then am I given the "other"
coefficients for whole building and main structural members? How do they relate, interact?
If the roof has a parapet, with cladding, the Cp is higher on roof and building corners. Do I calculate wind
pressure on cladding and then see how this transfers over to the concrete parapet underneath the cover?
How do I do this?
I have many more questions. I am really lost. What do i do with wind load? If I have a steel framed roof, I
know I take into account wind uplift. What if I have concrete roof? Do I use only 1.25 dead load + 1.5 Snow
load? How do I know if I should design for wind or seismic load? How do wind lateral loads transfer into the
interior members? axially on beams all the way to the shear wall inside?

Here is the excerpt on Wind loading from Ontario Building Code 2006:
4.1.7.1. Specified Wind Load
(1) The specified external pressure or suction due to wind on part or all of a surface of a building shall be
calculated using the following formula:
p = IwqCeCgCp
where,
p = the specified external pressure acting statically and in a direction normal to the surface, either as a
pressure directed towards the surface or as a suction directed away from the surface,
Iw = importance factor for wind load, as provided in Table 4.1.7.1.
q = the reference velocity pressure as provided for in Sentence (4),
Ce = the exposure factor as provided for in Sentence (5),
Cg = the gust effect factor, as provided for in Sentence (6), and
Cp = the external pressure coefficient averaged over the area of the surface considered.
Table 4.1.7.1.
Importance Factor for Wind Load, LW
Forming Part of Sentence 4.1.7.1.(1) and (3)

Column 1

Importance Factor, I
Importance Category

ULS

SLS

Low

0.8

0.75

Normal

1.0

0.75

High

1.15

0.75

Post-disaster

1.25

0.75

(2) The net wind load for the building as a whole shall be the algebraic difference of the loads on the
windward and the leeward surfaces, and in some cases may be calculated as the sum of the products of the
external pressures or suctions and the areas of the surfaces over which they are averaged as provided in
Sentence (1).

(3) The net specified pressure due to wind on part or all of a surface of a building shall be the algebraic
difference of the external pressure or suction as provided for in Sentence (1) and the specified internal
pressure or suction due to wind calculated from,
pi = IwqCeCgiCpi
where,
pi = specified internal pressure acting statically and in a direction normal to the surface, either as a pressure
directed toward the surface or as a suction directed away from the surface,
Iw = importance factor for wind load, as provided in Table 4.1.7.1.
q = the reference velocity pressure, as provided for in Sentence (4),
Ce = the exposure factor, as provided for in Sentence (5),
Cgi = internal gust effect factor, as provided for in Sentence (6), and
Cpi = the internal pressure coefficient.
(4) The reference velocity pressure, q, shall be the appropriate value determined in conformance with
Subsection 1.1.2. based on a probability of being exceeded in any one year of 1-in-50.
(5) The exposure factor Ce, shall be,
(a) (h/10)0.2 but not less than 0.9 for open terrain, where open terrain is level terrain with only
scatteredbuildings, trees or other obstructions, open water or shorelines, h being the reference height
above grade in metres for the surface or part of the surface,
(b) 0.7(h/12)0.3 but not less than 0.7 for rough terrain, where rough terrain is suburban, urban or wooded
terrain extending upwind from the buildinguninterrupted for at least 1 km or 10 times the building height,
whichever is greater, h being the reference height above grade in metres for the surface or part of the
surface,
(c) an intermediate value between the two exposures defined in Clauses (a) and (b) in cases where the site
is less than 1 km or 10 times the building height from a change in terrain conditions, whichever is greater,
provided an appropriate interpolation method is used, or
(d) if a dynamic approach to the action of wind gusts is used, an appropriate value depending on both height
and shielding.
(6) The gust effect factor, Cg, shall be one of the following values:
(a) for the building as a whole and main structural members, Cg = 2.0,
(b) for external pressures and suctions on small elements including cladding, C g = 2.5,
(c) for internal pressures, Cgi = 2.0 or a value determined by detailed calculation that takes into account the
sizes of the openings in the buildingenvelope, the internal volume and the flexibility of the building envelope,
or
(d) if a dynamic approach to wind action is used, Cg is a value that is appropriate for the turbulence of the
wind and the size and natural frequency of the structure.

I have a physical copy of the User Commentaries of NBC 2010 so I cannot upload it here. My question is if
there is a guide on what to do.
Can someone explain to me (1), (2) and (3) in relation to each other? The algebraic difference to me
means: Pwindward - Pleeward, but Pleeward is -ve, so we would end up actually adding the absolute value
of Pleeward to Pwindward? Pleeward is on the other side of the building, so how does that help me with the
windload on the windward face? What if wind blows on the leeward face?
Ughhhh. I know this is not formatted nicely. I don't know how to make you follow it logically because I don't
even understand the steps to windload calculations. I ask my technical advisor and he doesn't help me. Tells
me to figure it out myself and make assumptions. But my level of understanding of windloads is so low that
I would be making too many assumptions! Someone help me please?
Thank you in advance

The building is surrounded by rough terrain on north and east. West side - highway and then rough terrain.
South side - 2 small warehouses located about 500 m away and that's it, the rest is open terrain.
SO do I design for open terrain?
Here is where you find a difference between the academic solution and typical practice. Technically you
should design each of the four principal wind directions based on the upwind exposure condition for each
direction. In practice you usually design all directions based on the most extreme exposure condition.
Therefore, if one side faces open terrain I would use open terrain for design in all directions.
I am having a hard time figuring out coefficients.
Do we calculate wind load at different heights? like at every floor? Do we take each face and calculate the
windward pressure? Do we calculate wind pressure for the whole building, and then for main structural
elements? What is the difference in calculation?
There are two parts to wind load design. You have to design the lateral load resisting system of the building
as a whole for strength and stability and you must also design the individual elements on the exterior of the
building supporting the cladding to resist the wind pressures. The pressure on the leeward side is constant,
calculated with Ce at mid-height. The windward pressure varies with height based on value of Ce.
The gust factor Cg is 2.0 for the whole building, +-2.5 for small cladding and small elements. The internal
gust factor, Cgi, is 2.0. Where and how do I make use of this internal factor?
The internal wind pressures are only used for the design of the cladding and its supporting structural
members. Internal pressures cancel out when you look at the building as a whole.
For the pressure coefficient, Cp, I can make an assumption and get the coefficient for the windward and

leeward sides. How does the INTERNAL pressure coefficient fit into this? My building falls into category 1.
Cpi= -0.15 to 0. Why is it a range?
Internal pressures can vary due to a number of factors. Again, they are only used to design the cladding and
its supports. You would use the highest positive number in combination with the leeward external pressure
and the highest negative number with the external windward pressure.
Do I take each building face and calculate the windward, leeward and sideface pressures? Then do I design
for the maximum?
You design for one principal wind direction at a time. Sideface pressures are only for cladding design.
What about the leeward face? when I take that face as a windward, what do I do in the very end? subtract
leeward from windward to get overall effect on that face?
You are not calculating net pressures on a face when you are designing the building as a whole, just the net
force acting on the building. You have to check your building for four wind load cases, one positive and one
negative in each principal direction.
How does internal pressure fit into all this?
The code gives specific gust factors and pressure coefficients for small elements or cladding. Isn't the whole
building cover cladding? Glass and concrete/aluminum cladding? Why then am I given the "other"
coefficients for whole building and main structural members? How do they relate, interact?
Whole building and main structural members refers to design of the building's lateral load resisting system
such as the bracing or shear walls.
What if I have concrete roof? Do I use only 1.25 dead load + 1.5 Snow load?
You should check for 0.9D+1.4W but you will quickly discover that it never governs in a concrete roof.
How do I know if I should design for wind or seismic load?
You have to design for both.
How do wind lateral loads transfer into the interior members? axially on beams all the way to the shear wall
inside?
Yes, or through the floor and roof diaphragms. It depends on your layout and the magnitude of the loads.
Try to use the diaphragms first.
Can someone explain to me (1), (2) and (3) in relation to each other?
(1) is the formula for calculating external pressures
(2) tells you how to combine the external pressures to design the lateral load resisting system of the
building
(3) tells you how to calculate net pressures on cladding and its supporting members.
The algebraic difference to me means: Pwindward - Pleeward, but Pleeward is -ve, so we would end up
actually adding the absolute value of Pleeward to Pwindward?
Yes. Wind pushes on the windward side and creates suction on the leeward side. Therefore these two forces
are in the same direction and should add together.

Pleeward is on the other side of the building, so how does that help me with the windload on the windward
face? What if wind blows on the leeward face?
Wind cannot blow on a leeward face. If it did then the wind would have changed direction. Remember your
are creating different load cases by looking at one wind direction at a time. You have to check your building
for four wind load cases, one positive and one negative in each principal direction.