• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2020

The wind design of buildings is typically based on strength provisions under ultimate loads. This is unlike the ductility-based approach used in seismic design, which allows inelastic actions to take place in the structure under extreme seismic events. This research investigates the application of a similar concept in wind engineering. In seismic design, the elastic forces resulting from an extreme event of high return period are reduced by a load reduction factor chosen by the designer and accordingly a certain ductility capacity needs to be achieved by the structure. Two reasons have triggered the investigation of this ductility-based concept under wind loads. Firstly, there is a trend in the design codes to increase the return period used in wind design approaching the large return period used in seismic design. Secondly, the structure always possesses a certain level of ductility that the wind design does not benefit from. Many technical issues arise when applying a ductility-based approach under wind loads. The use of reduced design loads will lead to the design of a more flexible structure with larger natural periods. While this might be beneficial for seismic response, it is not necessarily the case for the wind response, where increasing the flexibility is expected to increase the fluctuating response. This particular issue is examined by considering a case study of a sixty-five-story high-rise building previously tested at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario using a pressure model. A three-dimensional finite element model is developed for the building. The wind pressures from the tested rigid model are applied to the finite element model and a time history dynamic analysis is conducted. The time history variation of the straining actions on various structure elements of the building are evaluated and decomposed into mean, background and fluctuating components. A reduction factor is applied to the fluctuating components and a modified time history response of the straining actions is calculated. The building components are redesigned under this set of reduced straining actions and its fundamental period is then evaluated. A new set of loads is calculated based on the modified period and is compared to the set of loads associated with the original structure. This is followed by non-linear static pushover analysis conducted individually on each shear wall module after redesigning these walls. The ductility demand of shear walls with reduced cross sections is assessed to justify the application of the load reduction factor "R".

• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.287-298
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• 2020

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the surface pressures on the CAARC standard tall building model concerning the effects of freestream turbulence. Two groups of incidence turbulence are generated in the wind tunnel experiment. The first group has an approximately constant turbulence intensity of 10.3% but different turbulence integral scale varying from 0.141 m to 0.599 m or from 0.93 to 5.88 in terms of scale ratio (turbulence integral scale to building dimension). The second group presents similar turbulence integral scale but different turbulence intensity ranging from 7.2% to 13.5%. The experimental results show that the mean pressure coefficients on about half of the axial length of the side faces near the leading edge slightly decrease as the turbulence integral scale ratio that is larger than 4.25 increases, but respond markedly to the changes in turbulence intensity. The root-mean-square (RMS) and peak pressure coefficients depend on both turbulence integral scale and intensity. The RMS pressure coefficients increase with turbulence integral scale and intensity. As the turbulence integral scale increases from 0.141 m to 0.599 m, the mean peak pressure coefficient increases by 7%, 20% and 32% at most on the windward, side faces and leeward of the building model, respectively. As the turbulence intensity increases from 7.2% to 13.5%, the mean value of peak pressure coefficient increases by 47%, 69% and 23% at most on windward, side faces and leeward, respectively. The values of cross-correlations of fluctuating pressures increase as the turbulence integral scale increases, but decrease as turbulence intensity increases in most cases.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.537-552
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• 2013

Wind tunnel experiments were performed to study the wind loads on an inclined flat plate with and without a guide plate. Highly turbulent flow, which corresponded to free-stream turbulence intensity on the flat roof of low-rise buildings, was produced by a turbulence generation grid at the inlet of the test section. The test model could represent a typical solar collector panel of a solar water heater. There are up-stream movements of the separation bubble and side-edge vortices, more intense fluctuating pressure and a higher bending moment in the turbulent flow. A guide plate would result in higher lift coefficient, particularly with an increased projected area ratio of a guide plate to an inclined flat plate. The value of lift coefficient is considerably lower with increased free-stream turbulent intensity.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.57-82
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• 2010

The 486m-long roof of Shenzhen Citizens Centre is one of the world's longest spatial lattice roof structures. A comprehensive numerical study of wind effects on the long-span structure is presented in this paper. The discretizing and synthesizing of random flow generation technique (DSRFG) recently proposed by two of the authors (Huang and Li 2008) was adopted to produce a spatially correlated turbulent inflow field for the simulation study. The distributions and characteristics of wind loads on the roof were numerically evaluated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods, in which Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations (RANS) Model were employed. The main objective of this study is to explore a useful approach for estimations of wind effects on complex curved roof by CFD techniques. In parallel with the numerical investigation, simultaneous pressure measurements on the entire roof were made in a boundary layer wind tunnel to determine mean, fluctuating and peak pressure coefficient distributions, and spectra, spatial correlation coefficients and probability characteristics of pressure fluctuations. Numerical results were then compared with these experimentally determined data for validating the numerical methods. The comparative study demonstrated that the LES integrated with the DSRFG technique could provide satisfactory prediction of wind effects on the long-span roof with complex shape, especially on separation zones along leading eaves where the worst negative wind-induced pressures commonly occur. The recommended LES and inflow turbulence generation technique as well as associated numerical treatments are useful for structural engineers to assess wind effects on a long-span roof at its design stage.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-87
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• 2019

The yaw and interference effects of blades affect aerodynamic performance of large wind turbine system significantly, thus influencing wind-induced response and stability performance of the tower-blade system. In this study, the 5MW wind turbine which was developed by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA) was chosen as the research object. Large eddy simulation on flow field and aerodynamics of its wind turbine system with different yaw angles($0^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ}$) under the most unfavorable blade position was carried out. Results were compared with codes and measurement results at home and abroad, which verified validity of large eddy simulation. On this basis, effects of yaw angle on average wind pressure, fluctuating wind pressure, lift coefficient, resistance coefficient,streaming and wake characteristics on different interference zone of tower of wind turbine were analyzed. Next, the blade-cabin-tower-foundation integrated coupling model of the large wind turbine was constructed based on finite element method. Dynamic characteristics, wind-induced response and stability performance of the wind turbine structural system under different yaw angle were analyzed systematically. Research results demonstrate that with the increase of yaw angle, the maximum negative pressure and extreme negative pressure of the significant interference zone of the tower present a V-shaped variation trend, whereas the layer resistance coefficient increases gradually. By contrast, the maximum negative pressure, extreme negative pressure and layer resistance coefficient of the non-interference zone remain basically same. Effects of streaming and wake weaken gradually. When the yaw angle increases to $45^{\circ}$, aerodynamic force of the tower is close with that when there's no blade yaw and interference. As the height of significant interference zone increases, layer resistance coefficient decreases firstly and then increases under different yaw angles. Maximum means and mean square error (MSE) of radial displacement under different yaw angles all occur at circumferential $0^{\circ}$ and $180^{\circ}$ of the tower. The maximum bending moment at tower bottom is at circumferential $20^{\circ}$. When the yaw angle is $0^{\circ}$, the maximum downwind displacement responses of different blades are higher than 2.7 m. With the increase of yaw angle, MSEs of radial displacement at tower top, downwind displacement of blades, internal force at blade roots all decrease gradually, while the critical wind speed decreases firstly and then increases and finally decreases. The comprehensive analysis shows that the worst aerodynamic performance and wind-induced response of the wind turbine system are achieved when the yaw angle is $0^{\circ}$, whereas the worst stability performance and ultimate bearing capacity are achieved when the yaw angle is $45^{\circ}$.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.497-513
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• 2019

A wind tunnel test was conducted that measured surface fluctuating pressures aft of a ramp at transonic speeds. Dynamic pressure test data was used to perform a study to determine best locations for streamwise sensor pairs for shocked and unshocked runs based on minimizing the error in root-mean-square acceleration response of the panel. For unshocked conditions, the upstream sensor is best placed at least 6.5 ramp heights downstream of the ramp, and the downstream sensor should be within 2 ramp heights from the upstream sensor. For shocked conditions, the upstream sensor should be between 1 and 7 ramp heights downstream of the shock, with the downstream sensor 2 to 3 ramp heights of the upstream sensor. The shock was found to prevent the passage coherent flow structures; therefore, it may be desired to use the shock to define the boundary of subzones for the purpose of loads definition. These recommendations should be generally applicable to a range of expansion corner geometries in transonic flow provided similar flow structures exist. The recommendations for shocked runs is more limited, relying on data from a single dataset with the shock located near the forward end of the region of interest.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Interference effects in five square tall buildings arranged in an L- or T-shaped pattern are investigated in the wind tunnel. Mean and fluctuating shear forces, overturning moments and torsional moment are measured on each building with a force balance mounted at its base. Results are obtained at two values of clear separation between adjacent buildings, at half and a quarter building breadth. It is found that strong interference effect exists on all member buildings, resulting in significant modifications of wind loads as compared with the isolated single building case. Sheltering effect is observed on wind loads acting along the direction of an arm of the "L" or "T" on the inner buildings. However, increase in these wind loads from the isolated single building case is found on the most upwind edge building in the arm when wind blows at a slight oblique angle to the arm. The corner formed by two arms of buildings results in some wind catchment effect leading to increased wind pressure on windward building faces. Interesting interference phenomena such as negative drag force are reported. Interference effects on wind load fluctuations, load spectra and dynamic building responses are also studied and discussed.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.531-553
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• 2012

Many tall buildings possess through-building gaps at middle levels of the building elevation. Some of these floors are used as sky gardens, or refuge floors, through which wind can flow with limited blockage. It has been reported in the literature that through-building gaps can be effective in reducing across-wind excitation of tall buildings. This paper systematically examines the effectiveness of two configurations of a through-building gap, at the mid-height of a tall building, in reducing the wind-induced dynamic responses of the building. The two configurations differ in the pattern of through-building opening on the gap floor, one with opening through the central portion of the floor and the other with opening on the perimeter of the floor around a central core. Wind forces and moments on the building models were measured with a high-frequency force balance from which dynamic building responses were computed. The results show that both configurations of a through-building gap are effective in reducing the across-wind excitation with the one with opening around the perimeter of the floor being significantly more effective. Wind pressures were measured on the building faces with electronic pressure scanners to help understand the generation of wind excitation loading. The data suggest that the through-building gap reduces the fluctuating across-wind forces through a disturbance of the coherence and phase-alignment of vortex excitation.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.559-575
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• 2016

In order to investigate the influence of different blade positions on aerodynamic load and wind loads and load-effects of large scale wind turbine tower under the halt state, we take a certain 3 MW large scale horizontal axis three-blade wind turbine as the example for analysis. First of all, numerical simulation was conducted for wind turbine flow field and aerodynamic characteristics under different halt states (8 calculating conditions in total) based on LES (large eddy simulation) method. The influence of different halt states on the average and fluctuating wind pressure coefficients of turbine tower surface, total lift force and resistance coefficient, circular flow and wake flow characteristics was compared and analysed. Then on this basis, the time-domain analysis of wind loads and load-effects was performed for the wind turbine tower structure under different halt states by making use of the finite element method. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: The halt positions of wind blade could have a big impact on tower circular flow and aerodynamic distribution, in which Condition 5 is the most unfavourable while Condition 1 is the most beneficial condition. The wind loads and load-effects of disturbed region of tower is obviously affected by different halt positions of wind blades, especially the large fluctuating displacement mean square deviation at both windward and leeward sides, among which the maximum response occurs in $350^{\circ}$ to the tower top under Condition 8; the maximum bending moment of tower bottom occurs in $330^{\circ}$ under Condition 2. The extreme displacement of blade top all exceeds 2.5 m under Condition 5, and the maximum value of windward displacement response for the tip of Blade 3 under Condition 8 could reach 3.35 m. All these results indicate that the influence of halt positions of different blades should be taken into consideration carefully when making wind-resistance design for large scale wind turbine tower.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2019

The effectiveness of aerodynamic modification to reduce wind loadings has been widely reported. However, most of previous studies have been investigated dynamic forces and pressure distributions on tall buildings with various unconventional configurations. This study was investigated dynamic characteristics and aerodynamic instability of super-tall buildings with unconventional configurations through extensive aeroelastic model experiments. Seventeen types of supertall building models were considered such as basic and corner modification with corner cut, chamfered, oblique opening, tapered, inversely tapered, bulged, helical with twist angles of $90^{\circ}$, $180^{\circ}$, $270^{\circ}$, $360^{\circ}$ and composite with $360^{\circ}$ helical & corner cut, 4-tapered & $360^{\circ}$ helical & corner cut, setback & corner cut, setback & $45^{\circ}$ rotate. As a result, aerodynamic characteristics of helical models with single modification are superior to those of other models with single modification. However, effect of twist angle for helical model is negligible. Further, the 4-tapered & $360^{\circ}$helical & corner cut model is most effective in reducing the along- and across-wind fluctuating displacement responses in all of experimental models.