How wind load is calculated on an exterior aluminium panel

Wind load on a screen or cladding panel depends on the building height and exposure, the panel's position on the elevation, and how open the panel is. Corners and parapets see markedly higher local pressures than the middle of a facade. A perforated panel passes some air through, which reduces the net pressure compared with a solid panel of the same size, but the substructure and fixings must still be checked against the peak local suction rather than an average figure.

Key points

• Local pressures at corners and parapets are higher than across the middle of an elevation
• Open area reduces net pressure on a screen compared with a solid panel of identical size
• The fixing and the substructure are checked against peak suction, not an averaged load
• Panel size, stiffener spacing and thickness are resolved together against the calculated load

Published by: Foshan Qi Aluminum Decorative Materials Co., Ltd.