Max Wind Speed Before a Load's Swing Limit
The sustained wind speed at which a suspended load reaches a maximum allowable swing.
Example
You enter
- Max allowable swing (deg, ~5 planning) 5
- Load weight (lb) 4000
- Projected sail area (ft²) 200
- Shape coefficient (flat panel ~1.2-2.0) 1.6
You get
- Max sustained wind speed 20.7 mph
Details, formula, and sources
V = sqrt(weight x tan(swing) / (0.00256 x area x shape)). A 4,000-lb load with 200 ft^2 of sail reaches a 5-degree swing at ~20.7 mph; a lighter load or bigger sail hits it sooner. A planning estimate; the manufacturer's in-service wind limit and the load chart govern.
V = sqrt( load_weight x tan(max_swing) / (0.00256 x sail_area x shape_coef) ), the swing relation swing = atan(0.00256 V^2 x area x shape / weight) solved for the wind speed.
ASCE 7 velocity-pressure constant (the same 0.00256 the wind-pressure tile uses) and OSHA 1926 Subpart CC by name; first-principles.
The 0.00256 velocity-pressure constant is public (ASCE 7). OSHA 1926 Subpart CC is free at osha.gov.
Estimate. Head rigger and manufacturer working-load-limit charts govern. Inspect every piece of hardware before the show.
Field names used by the API: max_swing_deg, load_weight_lb, sail_area_ft2, shape_coef, max_wind_mph
- Swing limit inverted V from weight x tan(swing) = 0.00256 V^2 x area x shapeASCE 7 / first principles
- Shape coefficient flat panel ~1.2-2.0 (default 1.6)ASCE 7 force coefficients
- In-service limit governs the manufacturer's max in-service wind speed and the load chart set the real limit; gusts exceed the sustained numberOSHA 1926 Subpart CC