APPENDIX 4.

A
ALTERNATE METHOD FOR DETERMINING CF AND LOAD
COMBINAnONS FOR OPEN FRAME STRUCTURES

4A.l BACKGROUND

Maximum wind force nonna! to the face of a rectangular enclosed building occurs
when the wind direction is nonnal to the building face. The same is true for wind load on
a singie frame or solid sign. However, this is not the case for an open frame structure
with more than one frame. As the wind direction moves away from the normal and more
towards a quartering wind, columns which once lined up neatly behind each other,
shielding each other, become staggered and exposed to the full wind. Additionally, the
area ofthe structure projected on a plane nonnal to the wind also increases.

The variation of the wind loads along each principal axis of a rectangular open frame
structure with the direction of wind is shown in Figure 4A 1, for the structure and wind
angie of attack defined in Figure 4A2. It can readily be seen that when one frame set
experiences its maximum frame load 'A' or D', the frame set along the other axis
experiences a wind force 'C' or 'B' respectively, thus the need for the load combinations of
Section 4.2.6.1. In those provisions, the load at 'C' is roughly estimated to be 50% of 'A'
and 'B' is estimated to be 50"/0 of the load at D'. In actuality, the loads on the secondary
axis can range from about 25% to 75% of the primary axis load, depending on many
factors including spacing ratio, number of frames, solidity ratio, etc. This appendix
provides a method to obtain a better estimate of the simultaneously acting load on the
secondary axis.

4A.2 FORCE COEFFICIENTS

This method provides force coefficients effor a greater range ofE and SFIB values
than the method of 4.2.3, as well as providing an estimate of Umax. For cases where both
methods are applicable, they will generally yield very similar results. References Nadeem
and NadeemlLevitan discuss this method in greater detail. The procedure is as follows:

1. Determine E, SFIB, and N for the principal axis under consideration as per 4.2.4
and Figure 4 L

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