Uncertainty in wind pressure coefficients for low-rise buildings

This paper reports on an analysis of the uncertainty in wind pressure (difference) coefficients, which are assessed on the basis of generic knowledge and experimental data rather than with a specific (wind tunnel) experiment. The analysis is carried out on time averaged pressure coefficients in a specific case, concerning a low-rise building in an urban environment. To assess the uncertainty, structured elicitation of expert judgment is employed. Method and results are described here. The acquired uncertainty is compared to an estimate of the uncertainty that could be attributed to wind pressure difference coefficients obtained in a wind tunnel experiment. This comparison serves as input to a discussion whether expert judgment studies could develop as an alternative for wind tunnel tests.Civil Engineering and Geoscience