In-situ tests were conducted to examine the design service life of a steel-framed greenhouse composed of European components and situated in Sapporo city. Based on the measured force distribution, the allowable strength limit may be reached at a three-second gust speed of 24.5 m/s, which translates to a design life of 1.6 to 5.1 years, depending on the referenced design standard. The test bay deformed three times as much as prediction from elastic analysis. An analysis model that incorporated the flexibility of column bases and knee brace connections adequately reproduced the measured force distribution and deformation.
