G5 on the roof G4 in the back wall

G3 7m

G1 G2

D3 D1 D2 50m

20m

Dear colleagues, I notice that many people have a different understanding of how to determine the CPI values and when it should be taken into account. In annex a simple worked example with the determination of the Cpi-values for a standard industrial building. I would be pleased if you experts could check this workout and communicate the errors or misinterpretations . Finally I would like to get an answer to the question , if we can neglect the CPi values for a " closed " building . ( see example ) Thank you all (text written in the red = Eurocode ) According to EN1991-1-4

A simple industrial hall (50mx20mx7m ) with 4 faces and a flat roof . ( see drawing ) Loads : deadload roof ( 0.25kn/m ) , Snowload (0.4kn/m) , wind Load (qrep = 0.6kn/m ) Openings : D1, D2 doors = 5mx5m . D3 door = 4mx5m . G1, G2 grids = 0.5m x 1m G3, grid = 0.4m x 0.4m G4, G5 grids = 0.3mx 0.3m The doors are considered to be closed in ULS during sever windstorms ! The grids are always open . EN1991-1-4 Art.7.2.9 Internal pressure (1) Internal and external pressures shall be considered to act at the same time ! (2) IF in at least 2 sides of the building (facades or roof) the total area of openings in each side is more than 30 % of the area of that side THEN , the actions on the structure should not be calculated from the rules given in this section but the rules of 7.3 and 7.4 should instead be used.

Face D : 7m x50m = 350 m Openings in face D : (2x 5m x 5m) + (2x1mx0.5m) +( 0.4m x 0.4m ) = 51.16m 51.16m / 530m = 0.15 +-15% to calculate from the rules given in this section , we can drop rules of 7.3 and 7.4 . (in this case I considers the doors also as openings ) (3) Where an external opening, such as a door or a window, would be dominant when open but is considered to be closed in the ultimate limit state, during severe windstorms, the condition with the door or window open should be considered as an accidental design situation in accordance with EN 1990. Indeed also in this case like in many other cases the doors are considered to be closed during severe windstorms. Accidental design situation in accordance with the EN1990 ( for Belgium) will be ( see next page): 1.0 x Gk + Ad + 1.1 Qk,1 = Determining combinations : 1) 1.0 x G,k + 1.0 x Wind(Cpe and cpi considered together) + 0 x snow 2) 1.0 x G,k + 1.0 x snow + 0.2 x wind My point of view is that this Accidental situation combination is much favorable than the ULScombination according to equation( ULS- SETB-STR/GEO 6.10) . Therefore I would abandon this check . The doors will be considered to be closed ! ( Am I wrong ? ) What about the other openings in the several faces ?? See next page

(4) A face of a building should be regarded as dominant when the area of openings at that face is at least twice the area of openings and leakages in the remaining faces of the building considered. The most and the biggest openings are in face D : 2x (0.5m x 1.0m ) + ( 0.4m x0.4m) = 1.16m Area of all the other openings in the faces and the roof = 2x (0.3m x 0.3m ) = 0.18m 1.16 > 2 x 0.18 = 0.36 Face D is the dominant face !! see (5)

(5) For a building with a dominant face the Cpi is a fraction of the external pressure at the openings of the dominant face When the area of the openings at the dominant face is twice the area of the openings in the remaining Faces then Cpi = 0.75 Cpe (equation (7.1) When the area of the openings at the dominant face is at least 3 times the area of the openings in the remaining faces Cpi = 0.90 Cpe (equation (7.2) Area of the openings in the dominant face D = 1.09 m Area of the openings in all the other faces = 0.18 m 1.09m > 3 x 0.18 = 0.54m use : Cpi = 0.9 Cpe

To determine Cpe on face D : ( according to table 7.1 EN1991-1-4)

h/d = 7m/20m = 0.35 Case1: Wind in X direction : Cpe on face D = +0.72 Cpi = 0.9 Cpe = +0.65 ( + internal pressure) Case2 : Wind in the Y direction : Cpe on face D = ( this is the zone A in the table7.1) Cpe of zone A = -1.2!!! Cpi = 0.9 x -1.2 = -1.08 ( - internal pressure )!!!!!!!!???? Case3 : Wind in X CONCLUSION : THIS MEANS THAT I HAVE TO PUT AN EXTRA LOAD OF = 1.08 * 0.6kN/m = 0.64kn/m ON MY ROOF ???? I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG OR .???????????????? THERE IS NOTHING MENTIONED IN THE CODE ABOUT THE DIMENSIONS OF THESE OPENINGS . THEY ARE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER BUT THE ABSOLUTE VALUES DONT MATTER ???? (6) For buildings without a dominant face, the internal pressure coefficient cpi should be determined from Figure 7.13, and is a function of the ratio of the height and the depth of the building, h/d, and the opening ratio for each wind direction , which should be determined from Expression (7.3). = area of openings where Cpe is negative or - 0,0 area of all openings Lets consider that there are only the grids G3, G4, and G5 . G1 and G2 do NOT exist ! ThIS means that we do not have a dominant face ! (the surface of all openings = 2 x (0.3mx0.3m) + 0.4m x 0.4m = 0.34 m

Wind in the +X direction : The area with Cpe negatif = face B1, B2, E and the roof Area of the openings in Face E and the roof = 2 x 0.3 x 0.3 = 0.18m 0.18/ 0.34 = 0.53 According to the figure 7.13 we have a CPI = +0.1 ?? Wind in the +Y direction The area with cpe negatif = face D, B2, E and (a part of ) the roof. The area of the openings in Face D , E and the roof = (0.4mx0.4m )+ (2 x 0.3 x 0.3) = 0.34m 0.34/ 0.34 = 1 According to the figure 7.13 we have a CPI = - 0.3 ?? Wind in the X +180 direction : The area with cpe negatif = face B1, B2, D and (a part of ) the roof. The area of the openings only in Face D = (0.4 x 0.4)+(0.3x0.3) = 0.16m 0.25/ 0.34 = 0.73 According to the figure 7.13 we have a CPI = -0.1 ?? Wind in the Y +180 direction : 7.2.10 Pressure on walls or roofs with more than one skin (2) The permeability of a skin is defined as the ratio of the total area of the opening to the total area of the skin. A skin is defined as impermeable if the value is less than 0,1%. ( attention this is different than the in article 7.2.9(6) )

Lets consider that all the grids ( these little openings ) dont exist and the doors are closed . Lets also consider that above each door there is an opening of 1cm over the entire length . For face D : 2 x 5m x 0.01m = 0.1m2 Total area of face D = 7m x 50m = 350m2 0.1 / 350 = 0.0003 is less than 0.1% The skin of face D is defined as impermeable. Face B1 : Same result . Face B2 and E are also impermeable . CONCLUSION : THE ENTIRE BUILDING IS IMPERMEABLE IN THE ULS-COMBINATION WE DONT HAVE TO CONSIDER THE CPI . ?? AM I WRONG ??? See the next important question than : Where to use the following note of the code ??? : 7.2.9 (6) NOTE 2 Where it is not possible, or not considered justified, to estimate for a particular case then cpi should be taken as the more onerous of +0,2 and -0,3.

I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD MENTION OR REPORT YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE SENSE AND THE NONSENSE OF WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOVE Thanks a lot , Kind regards , Arif Akdag,