RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF ROOF SHEATHING PERFORMANCE IN LIGHT WOOD FRAME STRUCTURES SUBJECTED TO WIND PRESSURE

摘要

This paper presents a methodology for reliability assessment of roof sheathing panels in low-rise structures for predicted wind pressure distributions. Low-rise buildings encompass the majority of the residential structures in the United States. Predominantly, this category of structures is constructed with dimension lumber. Investigations after natural disasters report that during high intensity wind pressures, low-rise buildings with wood-frame construction are at immense risks of damage with the first sign of damage initiated from the roofs. Stochastic modelling is employed to investigate the effect of random variables such as nail withdrawal capacity, and missing nails on sheathing panels due to construction malpractice. Wind pressures are obtained from a full-scale structure test conducted in New Brunswick, Canada. This study combines analytical and stochastic modelling to develop a comprehensive understanding of wind and structure interaction. The developed methodology can be used as a tool to evaluate roof sheathing performance subjected to wind load.