@article {bnh-6666, title = {Rainwater ingress through residential sliding doors}, number = {545}, year = {2019}, month = {06/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Damage investigations carried out following windstorms have shown significant damage caused by rainwater ingress (Boughton, Falck et al. 2017). A preliminary experimental study was carried out at the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) that simulated wind driven rain on a residential window under strong wind conditions to observe rainwater ingress.

The external pressures on a building envelope vary in time and space on the surface of a building with windward walls experiencing positive pressures and all other surfaces (side and leeward walls and roof) subjected to negative pressures.

Internal pressure fluctuations in a nominally sealed building with a porous envelope, are generally much lower than the external pressure fluctuations. This internal pressure is usually a small suction pressure and hence the net (i.e. (external {\textendash} internal)) pressure across the windward wall is positive but negative across the other surfaces. This pressure differential along with wind driven rain can result in air-entrained water ingress into the building through windows that are closed due to gaps and weep-holes.

Preliminary tests were conducted at the CTS on a window attached to the wind driven rain simulator (WDRS) to assess rainwater leakage and potential measures that could reduce leakage.

}, keywords = {ingress, rainwater, sliding doors}, issn = {545}, author = {Korah Parackal and John Ginger and Leblais, Alex and David Henderson} } @article {bnh-5219, title = {Simulated wind load strength testing of entrance doors}, year = {2018}, month = {12/2018}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Damage investigations following cyclonic events have shown failure of doors and windows as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2. Failure of such elements leads to further damage to the building by allowing rain and wind to enter the house. In addition to water damage to contents and internals, this creates increased stress to the building envelope due to the increased internal pressure as illustrated in Figure 3, which can lead to further failure such as roof failure.

Small weaknesses can therefore lead to large failures.

The study {\textquotedblleft}Design of Potential Dominant Opening to Resist Cyclonic Winds{\textquotedblright} by Nicoline Thomson, David Henderson and John Ginger highlights the under design of a standard external door for cyclonic conditions. Following this study, additional tests were conducted, replacing the timber doorframe with a steel doorframe and assessing various types of doors and lock mechanisms under cyclonic conditions.

The aim of this test programme was to perform full-scale simulated wind load strength testing of these different configurations of entrance doors. The AS 4040.2 static and AS 4040.3 cyclic simulated wind load strength test regimes\ were used as guides to load the test doors.

}, issn = {450}, author = {Leblais, Alex and David Henderson} } @article {bnh-5218, title = {Simulated wind load strength testing of soffits}, year = {2018}, month = {12/2018}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Damage investigations following cyclonic events have shown failure of soffit lining, including on contemporary buildings, as illustrated in Figure 2 to Figure 12. Failure of soffit lining can lead to further major damage to the building by allowing wind driven rain to enter the ceiling attic, causing the ceilings to collapse and further water damage. In addition to water damage to contents and internals, soffit lining failure creates increased stress to the building envelope due to the increased internal pressure caused by wind entering the roof cavity through the eaves, which can lead to further failure such as roof failure.

Small weaknesses can therefore lead to large failures.

This report uses results, and summarises parts, of the thesis {\textquotedblleft}Design of soffits and eaves to resist wind loads in cyclonic regions{\textquotedblright} by Lalin Chhoeuk, in particular the mechanical assessment of various combinations of soffit lining to batten connections to evaluate their suitability for use in cyclonic regions.

The aim of this test programme was to perform full-scale simulated wind load strength testing of these different configurations of soffit lining to batten connections. The AS 4040.2 static simulated wind load strength test regimes was used as guides to load the test specimens.

The simulated wind load strength tests were conducted in an airbox testing facility located at the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University.

}, issn = {449}, author = {Leblais, Alex and David Henderson} } @article {bnh-4230, title = {Severe wind hazard preliminary assessment: Tropical Cyclone Debbie, Whitsunday Coast, Queensland, Australia}, year = {2017}, month = {03/2017}, institution = {James Cook University}, address = {Townsville}, abstract = {

Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie was a category 4 system that made landfall near Airlie Beach (Figure 1) on the north Queensland coast at midday on the 28th of March, 2017. As part of a continuing effort to better characterize wind fields that impact communities during severe wind events, the Cyclone Testing Station (with collaborators from the Wind Research Laboratory at The University of Queensland) deployed SWIRLnet (Surface Weather Relay and Logging Network) weather stations to the region prior to Debbie{\textquoteright}s landfall. Six SWIRLnet towers (3.2 m high anemometers placed in the communities likely to be affected) collected data continuously prior to, during and after landfall. Three towers were deployed in the Ayr/Home Hill region, two in Bowen and one in Proserpine (Figure 2). This Preliminary Assessment Report details the initial observations from these towers, compares these with Bureau of Meteorology Automatic Weather Station observations, and makes some preliminary comment on the damage to structures in stormaffected communities.

}, url = {https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/422951/TC-Debbie-Rapid-Assessment-Report_v8.pdf}, author = {Thomas Kloetzke and Korah Parackal and D. J. Smith and Richard Krupar III and Leblais, Alex and Humphreys, M and Spassiani, Alessio and M. S. Mason and David Roueche and David O Prevatt and David Henderson and Boughton, Geoffrey N.} }