Improvements to the New Zealand component of the wind loadings standard AS/NZS 1170.2

Abstract

A broad range of research in a programme undertaken over the past 4 years, and in earlier closely related research programmes, has led to the development of recommendations for the New Zealand component of the joint Australia/New Zealand Wind Loadings Standard AS/NZS 1170.2. These recommendations mainly concern the analysis of the design wind speeds used for structural design in New Zealand. The proposed changes to the standard represent an evolution of the knowledge on which the standard is based, and the methodology used in the standard, to achieve more accurate and more reliable design of buildings and structures. The research has included: reanalysis of historical wind speed data; analysis of recent weather data; analysis of the influence of various different types of weather monitoring instruments, and their monitoring locations; interpretation of damage from wind storm events; comparisons between on-site measurements, wind tunnel simulations, computer modelling, and wind speeds currently calculated using AS/NZS 1170.2; sophisticated numerical weather prediction models; and the expected effects of climate change.