A study of wind load interaction for roofing field tiles

Roof cover loss is a leading cause of building performance issues during high wind events. Post-event damage assessment from the 2004 hurricane season in Florida suggested that in some cases roofing tiles did not perform as predicted by the Florida Building Code. Key objectives of the current research were to (a) develop a comprehensive understanding of the wind-induced load interaction for field tiles and (b) assess the conservatism of design parameter tests for roofing tile systems. A series of three experiments were developed in order to accomplish (a) and (b). Preliminary results for each experiment are presented. Lift coefficients were computed using both low-resolution (i.e. method of standardized tests) and high-resolution surface pressure measurements. Wind-induced attachment reactions for mechanically fasted tiles were measured via load cell. Attachment capacities were measured via constant displacement uplift testing. The findings include: a) low-resolution surface pressure measurements provide a conservative estimation of lift coefficients, b) wind-induced reactions at mechanical fastenings are dominated by withdrawal forces and are dependent on wind direction, and c) attachment capacities are dependent on point of load application. These findings are discussed in the context of standardized testing methods for roofing tiles