Wind Load Calculator
Formula: F = 0.5 × ρ × Cs × A × U(zt)²
Here's a worked example calculating the wind loading of Locker heat-shield panels
Effect of Elevation on Wind Velocity
If the wind velocity is only known at a different height to the proposed installation, engineers often use the wind profile power law as a rule-of-thumb for converting wind speeds between two heights:
V2 = V1(H1/H2)α
Where:
V1 = known wind speed at height H1
V2 = wind speed at desired height H2
α = exponent depending on terrain roughness (also called the wind shear exponent)
Here's a table with multipliers for different heights and wind shear exponents, based on a known windspeed height of 10 metres:
| Height H2 (m) | Open Water (α=0.10) | Open Terrain (α=0.15) | Suburban (α=0.20) | Urban (α=0.25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.933 | 0.901 | 0.870 | 0.841 |
| 10 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| 15 | 1.038 | 1.066 | 1.093 | 1.120 |
| 20 | 1.072 | 1.122 | 1.174 | 1.227 |
| 25 | 1.099 | 1.168 | 1.240 | 1.314 |
| 30 | 1.122 | 1.207 | 1.296 | 1.386 |
| 40 | 1.160 | 1.272 | 1.397 | 1.534 |
| 50 | 1.189 | 1.322 | 1.473 | 1.642 |
| 60 | 1.213 | 1.361 | 1.534 | 1.729 |
| 80 | 1.252 | 1.426 | 1.637 | 1.879 |
| 100 | 1.280 | 1.475 | 1.714 | 1.987 |
| 120 | 1.302 | 1.514 | 1.775 | 2.073 |
