Wind damage

Cold-formed steel roofing systems made of high strength and thin steel roof sheeting, battens and purlins/rafters/trusses become increasingly popular in Australia. However, high wind events such as tropical cyclones, tornadoes and thunderstorms often cause severe losses of thin steel roofing systems. Localised failures occurring at the screwed connections (both thin steel roof sheeting to batten and roof batten to rafter/purlin/truss) often trigger such severe failures of roofing systems.  Some of the localised connection failures observed during recent high wind events are shown in the figures below. We undertake detailed research studies (both experimental and numerical studies) at QUT to investigate such critical failures and, develop suitable test, design and strengthening methods to enhance the safety of light gauge steel roofing systems under high wind loads.

Cyclone Ingrid – 2005

Pull-through/Pull-out Failures of Thin Steel Roof Sheeting and Pull-through/Pull-out/Bending Failures of Thin Steel Roof Battens

Source: Cyclone Testing Station – Technical Report 50

Cyclone Larry – 2006

Pull-through/Pull-out Failures of Thin Steel Roof Sheeting and Pull-through/Pull-out/Bending Failures of Thin Steel Roof Battens

Source: Cyclone Testing Station – Technical Report 51

Cyclone George – 2007

Pull-out failures of thin steel roof battens (from 1.0 mm thick steel truss members)
Pull-through failures of thin steel roof battens (0.75 mm top hat battens) (Source: Cyclone Testing Station – Technical Report)

Shoalwater and Roleystone WA Tornadoes – 2008

Pull-through failures of thin steel roof battens(Source: Cyclone Testing Station – Technical Report 54)

Cyclone Yasi – 2011

Pull-through/pull-out/bending failures of thin steel roof battens (Source: Cyclone Testing Station – Technical Report 57)
(Source: Google Image Search – Internet)

Cyclone Debbie – 2017

Pull-out/pull-through/bending failures of thin steel roof battens (Source: Google Image Search – Internet)

Recent research articles

& (2018) New pull-out capacity equations for the design of screw fastener connections in steel cladding systems. Thin-Walled Structures, 122, pp. 439-451. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/113995/)

& (2017) Numerical studies and design of thin steel roof battens subject to pull-through failures. Engineering Structures, 146(1), pp. 54-74. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/107544/)

& (2017) Numerical modeling of thin-walled steel roof battens subject to pull-through failures. Journal of Structural Engineering. (In Press) (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103588/)

& (2017) New test and design methods for steel roof battens subject to fatigue pull-through failures. Thin-Walled Structures, 119, pp. 558-571. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/113780/)

& (2017) Unified static-fatigue pull-through capacity equations for cold-formed steel roof battens. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 139, pp. 135-148. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/115795/)

& (2016) Experimental studies of thin-walled steel roof battens subject to pull-through failures. Engineering Structures, 113, pp. 388-406. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/96569/)

& (2016) Development of fragility curves for localised pull-through failures of thin steel roof battens. Engineering Structures, 124, pp. 64-84. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/96571/)

& (2016) Development of suitable test methods for the screw connections in cold-formed steel roof battens. Journal of Structural Engineering, 142(6), Article Number-04016025. (https://eprints.qut.edu.au/96567/)

() Development of Suitable Strengthening Methods for Thin Steel Roof Battens Subject to Pull-Through Failures. .

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