Large parabolic lattice truss structures are used in applications such as antennas as well as in solar concentration systems which are in great demand for renewable energy. However, few data on the behaviour of this type of structure under wind load are available and few codes guide the design of such structures in Canada. The objective of this study is to evaluate wind loads on a typical parabolic structure of 8x16 m2. The study was performed in two steps: (i) sectional wind tunnel testing to determine the wind loads on the structure; (ii) based on the wind tunnel testing, numerical time history analyses were performed. In the numerical time history analyses, wind was generated on a 32-point grid with the generated wind respecting the actual wind characteristics of spatial correlation and spectral density. With the time history analyses, some fatigue loadings were estimated. The ultimate limit state loading on the structures and foundation were then determined from the results of wind tunnel tests.
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