Component and Cladding Internal Pressures in Multi-Story Buildings 1

[UtahAggiePE]

My question is related to multi-story building fenestration (curtain walls). The wind load procedures for the Components and Cladding in the ASCE 7 seem to indicate that the internal pressures are dependent on the building's overall height and that all floors will have the highest pressure calculated for the top floor elevation of the building. Am I correct in assuming this or can it be argued that separate floors that are basically sealed off from upper stories could have lower magnitude internal pressures?

 

[Ron]

As structural engineers, we cannot predict how air flow is controlled inside a building. There are a lot of variables in this....are the walls sealed top and bottom?....is there an elevator shaft?... there a common ventilation system?.....and on and on.

With those unknowns, we have to assume pressure distribution is universal.