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Roofing design that avoids glass breakage during high winds

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Abstract
One of the problems with current flat roof designs is that the rock used to cover roof surfaces can be dislodged by high winds and act as a missile to break window glass. A common solution to this problem is to increase the rock size; however, this practic increases the weight on the roof, reduces the protection from UV light, and has the potential to increase the severity of the problem during high winds. The design procedure and preliminary data for an alternative method is presented in this paper. The design procedure begins with the calculation of the maximum size stone or sand particle that can be used without causing glass breakage for the given wind speed, thickness of glass, and type of glass. The second step is to calculate the minimum thickness required to protect the surface from UV light. The third step is to use an expandable plastic grid that is placed on the roof to protect the small particles from eroding wind. Theoretical considerations for calculating the required height of grid is discussed. Wind tunnel tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the new method. Initial results look promising.
Date
6/1993
Author(s)
J Gregory; B Bienkiewicz, B; McDonald, J
Page(s)
283-292
Keyword(s)
roof design; glass breakage; missile; high wind; aggregate;


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