Abstract
Mechanically-attached waterproofing system is widely used for flat roofs as an environment-friendly system. However, this system is often subjected to wind damage because of its low wind resistance. Then, we have proposed to install photovoltaic (PV) panels parallel to the roof with small gaps between them, which may decrease the wind loads on the waterproofing system as well as on the PV panels. The present paper verifies the validity of this idea. The wind pressures underneath the PV panels are numerically simulated by using the unsteady Bernoulli equation together with the time history of external pressures acting on the roof of a flat-roofed building. Then, the wind-induced response of the waterproofing system is evaluated by using a non-linear finite element method together with the time history of wind pressures underneath the PV panels.
