Development of Wind Loading Maps for Sri Lanka for use with Different Wind Loading Codes

Abstract

It was more than 39 years ago that Sri Lanka last established a wind loading map after the severe cyclone that struck the country in 1978. It is strongly believed that statistical methods had not been used in developing this wind loading map. Hence, the map can either overestimate or underestimate the wind speeds at least in some regions of the country. Therefore, an updated map which suits the changing climate patterns experienced in the country has become a necessity. In Sri Lanka, different wind codes are being used when designing structures to withstand wind actions. Moreover, there is no wind loading map that is suitable for use with Eurocode 1. This paper presents the development of wind loading maps for Sri Lanka using wind data obtained from 24 weather stations. The data used were the monthly maximum 3-minute average wind speeds, and monthly instantaneous maximum wind speeds, recorded over a period of about 35 and 5 years respectively. An extreme value distribution called Gringorten method was used to predict the extreme wind speeds. Maps demarcating 3-second gust and 10-minute average basic wind speeds for Sri Lanka were developed for different return periods.

Modelling of the Effects of Renewable Energy Establishments towards the Economic Growth of a Nation

“…If it was assumed a generation capacity of 5 MW per km 2 (based on energy conservation assumptions), Sri Lanka's wind capacity could support 24,000 MW of potential installed capacity. With future advancements in wind energy technologies, it is estimated that the total of windy land and lagoon areas of Sri Lanka can potentially be increased to more than 11,000 km 2 (of up to 15% of the total land area of the country) allowing the nation to harness huge portion of its energy demand via wind [18,19]. While hydro, solar and wind energies are dominating the Sri Lanka's renewable energy future, other sources such as biomass and tidal can also contribute in generating a considerable amount of green energy.…”

Seasonal Variations in Groundwater Quality and Hydrogeochemistry in the Endemic Areas of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka

“…The rest of the year suffers a long dry spell, while late August to early September marks the peak of the drought [20]. The average wind speed is approximately 2.02 m/s (measured at 91 m from the mean sea level, over 48 years) and the direction of wind may vary from 71 • through 227 • with reference to the north, depending on the monsoon flows [21,22]. The highest evapo-transpiration (>6 mm/day) is usually reported between the dry period, from May to September [23].…”