• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.657-677
• /
• 2017

This paper discusses some features and conditions that characterize the Zonda wind, focusing particularly on the implications for wind engineering applications. This kind of wind, typical of mountainous regions, is far from being adequately characterized for computational simulations and proper modeling in experimental facilities such as boundary layer wind tunnels. The objective of this article is to report the research works that are being developed on this kind of wind, describing the main obtained results, and also to establish some general guidelines for the proper analysis of the Zonda in the wind engineering context. A classification for the Zonda wind is indicated and different cases of structural and environmental effects are described. Available meteorological data is analyzed from the wind engineering point of view to obtain the Zonda wind gust factors, as well as basic wind speeds relevant for structural design. Some considerations and possible directions for the Zonda wind-tunnel and computational modeling are provided. Gust factor values larger than those used for open terrain were obtained, nevertheless, the basic wind speed values obtained are similar to values presented by the Argentinian Wind Code for three-second gust, principally at Mendoza airport.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.525-538
• /
• 2022

High-rise wooden pagodas generate large displacement responses under wind action. It is necessary and wise to reduce the wind loads and wind-induced responses on the architectural heritage using artificial plants, which do not damage ancient architecture and increase greenery. This study calculates and analyzes the wind loads and wind-induced responses on the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, in China, using artificial plants via the finite element analysis (FEA). A three-dimensional wind-loading field was simulated using a wind tunnel test. Wind loads and wind-induced responses, including the displacement and acceleration of the pagoda with and without artificial plants, were analyzed. In addition, three types of tree arrangements were discussed and analyzed using the score method. The results revealed that artificial plants can effectively control wind loads and wind-induced displacements, but the wind-induced accelerations are enlarged to some extent during the process. The height of the tree significantly affected the shelter effects of the structure. The distance of trees from the pagoda and arrangement width of the tree had less influence on shelter effects. This study extends the understanding of the nondestructive method based on artificial plants, for controlling the wind base loads and structural responses of wooden pagodas and preserving architectural heritage via FEA.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.253-273
• /
• 2016

Ice accretions on stay cables may result in the instable vibration of galloping, which would affect the safety of cable-stayed bridges. A large number of studies have investigated the galloping vibrations of transmission lines. However, the obtained aerodynamics in transmission lines cannot be directly applied to the stay cables on cable-stayed bridges. In this study, linear and nonlinear single degree-of-freedom models were introduced to obtain the critical galloping wind velocity of iced stay cables where the aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients were identified in the wind tunnel tests. Specifically, six ice shapes were discussed using section models with geometric scale 1:1. The results presented obvious sudden decrease regions of the aerodynamic lift coefficient for all six test models. Numerical analyses of iced stay cables associated to a medium-span cable-stayed bridge were carried out to evaluate the potential galloping instability. The obtained nonlinear critical wind velocity for a 243-meter-long stay cable is much lower than the design wind velocity. The calculated linear critical wind velocity is even lower. In addition, numerical analyses demonstrated that increasing structural damping could effectively mitigate the galloping vibrations of iced stay cables.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.629-660
• /
• 2013

This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art in the numerical evaluation of wind loads on buildings. Important aspects of numerical modeling including (i) turbulence modeling, (ii) inflow boundary conditions, (iii) ground surface roughness, (iv) near wall treatments, and (vi) quantification of wind loads using the techniques of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are summarized. Relative advantages of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) over Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and hybrid RANS-LES over LES are discussed based on physical realism and ease of application for wind load evaluation. Overall LES based simulations seem suitable for wind load evaluation. A need for computational wind load validations in comparison with experimental or field data is emphasized. A comparative study among numerical and experimental wind load evaluation on buildings demonstrated generally good agreements on the mean values, but more work is imperative for accurate peak design wind load evaluations. Particularly more research is needed on transient inlet boundaries and near wall modeling related issues.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.107-120
• /
• 2005

The quasi-steady approaches to simulate the wind induced vibrations of inclined cables, especially on the rain-wind induced vibration, have been tried by many researchers. However, the steady wind force coefficients used in those methods include only the effects of water rivulet, but not the axial flow effects. The problem is the direct application of the conventional techniques to the inclined cable aerodynamics. Therefore, in this study, the method to implement the axial flow effects in the quasi-steady theory is considered and its applicability to the inclined cable aerodynamics is investigated. Then, it becomes clear that the perforated splitter plate in the wake of non-yawed circular cylinder can include the effects of axial flow in the steady wind force coefficients for inclined cables to a certain extent. Using the lateral force coefficients measured in this study, the quasi-steady theory may explain the wind induced instabilities of the inclined cables only in the relatively high reduced wind velocity region. When the Scruton number is less than around 40, the high speed vortex-induced vibration occurs around the onset wind velocity region of the galloping, and then, the quasi-steady approach cannot be applied for estimating the response of wind-induced vibration of inclined cable.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.237-247
• /
• 2015

Wind tunnel experiments are used to investigate the aerodynamic interactions between vehicles and wind barriers on a railway bridge. Wind barriers with four different heights (1.72 m, 2.05 m, 2.5 m and 2.95 m, full-scale) and three different porosities (0%, 30% and 40%) are studied to yield the aerodynamic coefficients of the vehicle and the wind barriers. The effects of the wind barriers on the aerodynamic coefficients of the vehicle are analyzed as well as the effects of the vehicle on the aerodynamic coefficients of the wind barriers. Finally, the relationship between the drag forces on the wind barriers and the aerodynamic coefficients of the vehicle are discussed. The results show that the wind barriers can significantly reduce the drag coefficients of the vehicle, but that porous wind barriers increase the lift forces on the vehicle. The windward vehicle will significantly reduce the drag coefficients of the porous wind barriers, but the windward and leeward vehicle will increase the drag coefficients of the solid wind barrier. The overturning moment coefficient is a linear function of the drag forces on the wind barriers if the full-scale height of the wind barriers $h{\leq}2.5m$ and the overturning moment coefficients $C_O{\geq}0$.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.295-320
• /
• 2014

The characteristics of amplitudes and power spectra of X axial, Y axial, and RZ axial (i.e., body axis) wind forces on a 492 m high-rise building with a section varying along height in typical wind directions are studied via a rigid model wind tunnel test of pressure measurement. Then the corresponding mathematical expressions of power spectra of X axial (across-wind), Y axial (along-wind) and torsional wind forces in $315^{\circ}$ wind directions are proposed. The investigation shows that the mathematical expressions of wind force spectra of the main structure in across-wind and torsional directions can be constructed by the superimposition of an modified wind spectrum function and a peak function caused by turbulent flow and vortex shedding, respectively. While that in along-wind direction can only be constructed by the former and is similar to wind spectrum. Moreover, the fitted parameters of the wind load spectra of each measurement level of altitude are summarized, and the unified parametric results are obtained. The comparisons of the first three order generalized force spectra show that the proposed mathematical expressions accord with the experimental results well.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.643-660
• /
• 2015

The wind tunnel test of large-scale sectional model and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are employed for the purpose of studying the aerodynamic appendices and mechanism on suppression for the vortex-induced vibration (VIV). This paper takes the HongKong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as an example to conduct the wind tunnel test of large-scale sectional model. The results of wind tunnel test show that it is the crash barrier that induces the vertical VIV. CFD numerical simulation results show that the distance between the curb and crash barrier is not long enough to accelerate the flow velocity between them, resulting in an approximate stagnation region forming behind those two, where the continuous vortex-shedding occurs, giving rise to the vertical VIV in the end. According to the above, 3 types of wind fairing (trapezoidal, airfoil and smaller airfoil) are proposed to accelerate the flow velocity between the crash barrier and curb in order to avoid the continuous vortex-shedding. Both of the CFD numerical simulation and the velocity field measurement show that the flow velocity of all the measuring points in case of the section with airfoil wind fairing, can be increased greatly compared to the results of original section, and the energy is reduced considerably at the natural frequency, indicating that the wind fairing do accelerate the flow velocity behind the crash barrier. Wind tunnel tests in case of the sections with three different countermeasures mentioned above are conducted and the results compared with the original section show that all the three different countermeasures can be used to control VIV to varying degrees.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.347-356
• /
• 2018

In this paper, stress distribution for a structurally stable greenhouse is considered in the present paper with subsequent investigation into the detailed stress distribution contour with the variation of self-weight and wind pressure level designation method under wind velocity of less than 30 m/sec. For reliable analysis, wind pressure coefficients of a single greenhouse unit were modeled and compared with experiment with correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. Wind load level was designated twofold: direct mapping of fluid dynamic analysis and conversion of modeled results into wind pressure coefficients ($C_P$). Finally, design criteria of EN1991-1-4 and NEN3859 were applied in terms of their wind pressure coefficients for comparison. $C_P$ of CFD result was low in the most of the modeled area but was high only in the first roof wind facing and the last lee facing areas. Besides, structural analysis results were similar in terms of stress distribution as per EN and direct mapping while NEN revealed higher level of stress for the last roof area. The maximum stress levels are arranged in decreasing order of mapping, EN, and NEN, generating 8% error observed between the EN and mapping results under 30 m/sec of wind velocity. On the other hand, effect of dead weight on the stress distribution was investigated via variation of high stress position with wind velocity, confirming shift of such position from the center to the forward head wind direction. The sensitivity of stress for wind velocity was less than 0.8% and negligible at wind velocity greater than 20 m/sec, thus eliminating self-weight effect.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.63 no.4
• /
• pp.509-519
• /
• 2017

Wind field in mountainous regions demonstrates unique distribution characteristic as compared with the wind field of the flat area, wind load and wind effect are the key considerations in structural design of television towers situated in mountainous regions. The television tower to be constructed is located at the top of Xiushan Mountain in Nanjing, China. In order to investigate the impact of terrain factors of hilltops on wind loads, firstly a wind tunnel test was performed for the mountainous area within 800m from the television tower. Then the tower basal forces such as bending moments and shear strength were obtained based on high frequency force balance (HFFB) test. Based on the experiments, the improved method for determining the load combinations was applied to extract the response distribution patterns of foundation internal force and peak acceleration of the tower top, then the equivalent static wind loads were computed under different wind angles, load conditions and equivalent goals. The impact of terrain factors, damping ratio and equivalent goals on the wind load distribution of a television tower was discussed. Finally the equivalent static wind loads of the television tower under the 5 most adverse wind angles and 5 most adverse load conditions were computed. The experimental method, computations and research findings provide important references for the anti-wind design of high-rise structure built on hilltops.