Wind speed estimation uncertainties: effects of climatological and micrometeorological parameters

To achieve structures that are risk-consistent, structural reliability methods must be used that account for uncertainties with respect to the relevant parameters affecting the estimation of wind effects. In this paper, we obtain measures of uncertainties in the estimation of the wind speeds upwind of structures. These uncertainties are due to incomplete knowledge with respect to the relevant extreme climatological and micrometeorological parameters. Advances in wind engineering and improvements in computational capabilities now make it possible to improve upon earlier estimates available in the literature. The work presented in this paper is a phase of a broader NIST project aimed at developing user-friendly software for the estimation of probabilities of failure of low-rise structures subjected to wind loads.