Response of the structural system of houses to wind loading

Title of Project

Response of the structural system of houses to wind loading

Name of Advisor/s

John Ginger

College

College of Science & Engineering

Summary of Project

The Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia has been carrying out research and testing on wind loading and structural response since 1977. This work has produced data for codes and standards and is used widely by the building and insurance industries worldwide.

Windstorms generate spatially and temporally varying external pressures on the external surface of a house that generate complex structural response (load sharing).  Failure of the weakest link in the tie-down chain of structural components is found to be the cause of damage during windstorms. Understanding initial failures are also important for studying the progression of failure with increasing load. This project will study the wind loading and structural response (including the progressive failures) in vulnerable house types and formulate practical structural retrofit options

Would suit an applicant who

You will have a relevant BE Honours degree in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.