• Title/Summary/Keyword: synoptic winds

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Numerical analysis of a long-span bridge response to tornado-like winds

  • Hao, Jianming;Wu, Teng
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.31 no.5
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    • pp.459-472
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    • 2020
  • This study focused on the non-synoptic, tornado-like wind-induced effects on flexible horizontal structures that are extremely sensitive to winds. More specifically, the nonuniform, intensive vertical wind-velocity and transient natures of tornado events and their effects on the global behavior of a long-span bridge were investigated. In addition to the static part in the modeling of tornado-like wind-induced loads, the motion-induced effects were modeled using the semi-empirical model with a two-dimensional (2-D) indicial response function. Both nonlinear wind-induced static analysis and linear aeroelastic analysis in the time domain were conducted based on a 3-D finite-element model to investigate the bridge performance under the most unfavorable tornado pattern considering wind-structure interactions. The results from the present study highlighted the important effects due to abovementioned tornado natures (i.e., nonuniform, intensive vertical wind-velocity and transient features) on the long-span bridge, and hence may facilitate more appropriate wind design of flexible horizontal structures in the tornado-prone areas.

Aerodynamic loading of a typical low-rise building for an experimental stationary and non-Gaussian impinging jet

  • Jubayer, Chowdhury;Romanic, Djordje;Hangan, Horia
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.28 no.5
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    • pp.315-329
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    • 2019
  • Non-synoptic winds have distinctive statistical properties compared to synoptic winds and can produce different wind loads on buildings and structures. The current study uses the new capabilities of the WindEEE Dome at Western University to replicate a stationary non-Gaussian wind event recorded at the Port of La Spezia in Italy. These stationary non-Gaussian wind events are also known as intermediate wind events as they differ from non-stationary non-Gaussian events (e.g., downbursts) as well as stationary Gaussian events (e.g., atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows). In the present study, the wind loads on a typical low-rise building are investigated for an intermediate wind event reproduced using a continuous radial impinging jet (IJ) at the WindEEE Dome. For the same building model, differences in wind loads between ABL and IJ are also examined. Wind loads on different surface zones on the building, as defined in the ASCE code for design loads, are also calculated and compared with the code.

Characteristics of Surface and Synoptic Meteorology During High-Ozone Episodes in the Greater Seoul Area (서울.수도권 지역 고농도 오존 사례의 지상 및 종관 기상 특성)

  • 오현선;김영성
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.15 no.4
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    • pp.441-455
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    • 1999
  • Meteorological characteristics of three high-ozone episodes in the Greater Seoul Area, selected on the basis of morning-average wind direction and speed for the 1990~1997 period, were investigated. Three high-ozone episodes thus selected were seven days of July 3~9, 1992, nine days of July 21~29, 1994, and three days of August 22~24, 1994. Along with surface meteorological data from the Seoul Weather Station, surface and 850-hPa wind fields over the Northest Asia around the Korean Peninsula were used for the analysis. In the July 1992 episode, westerly winds were most frequent as a result of the influence of a high-pressure system in the west behind the trough. In contrast, in the July 1994 episode, easterly winds were most frequent due to the effect of a typhoon moving north from the south of Japan. Despite different prevailing wind directions in the two episodes, the peak ozone concentration of each episode always occurred when a sea-land breeze developed in association with weak synoptic forcing. The August 1994 episode, selected as being representative of calm conditions, was another typical example in which peak ozone concentration rose to 322 ppb under the well-developed sea-land breeze. All three high-ozone episodes were terminated by precipitation, and subsequent rises in ozone concentrations were also suppressed by a series of precipitation afterwards. In particular, two heavy rainfalls were the main reason why the August 1994 episode, with the highest and second-highest ozone concentrations during the 1990~1997 period, lasted for only a few days.

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Variation of sulfur dioxide concentrations at Kangnung under the Influence of Regional Meteorology for the Period of Yellow Sandy Dusts in Spring (봄철 황사기간중 지역기상 영향에 의한 강릉지역에서의 아황산가스 농도 변화)

  • Choi, Hyo
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.131-140
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    • 1996
  • Analysis of hourly variations of sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) concentrations affected by regional climates for the period of yellow sandy dusts was carried out from March 31 through April 9, 1993. The concentration of 50, at a coastal city, Kangnung city, was much higher than that at an inland city Wonju in the west, but the hourly distrbutions of $SO_2$ concentrations show a similar tendency at both cities. Under the prevailing synoptic-scale westerly winds blowing over a high Mt. Taegualyang in the west toward Kangnung city in the eastern coastal region, the $SO_2$ at Kangnung is trapped by an easterly sea-breeze during the day and under prevailing easterly winds, it is also isolated by the high wall of Mt. Taegualyang, with its high concentration from 14 to 16 LST. Furthermore, when the westerly winds were dominent all day long the high $SO_2$ concentrations at Kangnung were produced by its intrusion from a urban city, Wonju or China in the west into a mountainous coastal city, Kangnung, to some extent, and when the air becomes rapidly cooled down at the clear daytime or the nighttime, their concentrations are also increased by a great amount of heating fuel combustion. Especilly, its maximum concentrations were shown in Wonju and Kangnung from 08 LST through 10 LST, due to the increase of auto vehicles near the beginning time of office hour and were detected again after sunset due to both increases of vehicles at the end of office hour and heating fuel combustion. During the period of Yellow Sandy Dusts which are transported from China into Korea, the $SO_2$ concentrations on rainy days at Wonju and Kangnung were much lower than the monthly mean values of $SO_2$, and their low concentrations could be caused by the scavenging process of rain.

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Capacity of a transmission tower under downburst wind loading

  • Mara, T.G.;Hong, H.P.;Lee, C.S.;Ho, T.C.E.
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.22 no.1
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    • pp.65-87
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    • 2016
  • The wind velocity profile over the height of a structure in high intensity wind (HIW) events, such as downbursts, differs from that associated with atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds. Current design codes for lattice transmission structures contain only limited advice on the treatment of HIW effects, and structural design is carried out using wind load profiles and response factors derived for ABL winds. The present study assesses the load-deformation curve (capacity curve) of a transmission tower under modeled downburst wind loading, and compares it with that obtained for an ABL wind loading profile. The analysis considers nonlinear inelastic response under simulated downburst wind fields. The capacity curve is represented using the relationship between the base shear and the maximum tip displacement. The results indicate that the capacity curve remains relatively consistent between different downburst scenarios and an ABL loading profile. The use of the capacity curve avoids the difficulty associated with defining a reference wind speed and corresponding wind profile that are adequate and applicable for downburst and ABL winds, thereby allowing a direct comparison of response under synoptic and downburst events. Uncertainty propagation analysis is carried out to evaluate the tower capacity by considering the uncertainty in material properties and geometric variables. The results indicated the coefficient of variation of the tower capacity is small compared to those associated with extreme wind speeds.

Numerical Simulation Experiment on the Wind Ventilation Lane of the Local Circulation Winds in Daegu (대구지역의 국지적 대기순환풍의 환기경로에 관한 수치모의 실험)

  • Gu, Hyeon Suk;Kim, Hae Dong;Gang, Seong Dae
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.367-376
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    • 2004
  • In urban area, thermal pollution associated with heat island phenomena is generally regarded to make urban life uncomfortable. To overcome this urban thermal pollution problem, urban planning with consideration of urban climate, represented by the concept of urban ventilation lane, is widely practiced in many countries. In this study, the prevailing wind ventilation lane of a local winds in Daegu during the warm climate season was investigated by using surface wind data and RAMS(Reasonal Atmospheric Model System) simulation. The domain of interest is the vicinity of Daegu metropolitan city(about 900 $km^{2})$ and its horizontal scale is about 30km. The simulations were conducted under the synoptic condition of late spring with the weak gradient wind and mostly clear sky. From the numerical simulations, the following two major conclusions were obtained: (1)The major wind passages of the local circulation wind generated by radiative cooling over the mountains(Mt. Palgong and Mt. Ap) are found. The winds blow down along the valley axis over the eastern part of the Daegu area as a gravity flow during nighttime. (2)After that time, the winds blow toward the western part of Daegu through the city center. As the result, the higher temperature region appears over the western part of Daegu metropolitan area.

Downburst versus boundary layer induced wind loads for tall buildings

  • Kim, Jongdae;Hangan, Horia;Eric Ho, T.C.
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.10 no.5
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    • pp.481-494
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    • 2007
  • Downbursts are transient phenomena that produce wind profiles that are distinctly different from synoptic boundary layers. Wind field data from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of isolated downburst-like impinging jets, are used to investigate structural loads of tall buildings due to these high intensity winds. The base shear forces and base moments of tall buildings of heights between 120 and 250 m produced by downburst winds of various scales are compared with the forces from the equivalent boundary layer gust winds, with matched 10-metre wind velocity. The wind profiles are mainly functions of the size of the downburst and the radial distance from the centre of the storm. Wind forces due to various downburst profiles are investigated by placing the building at different locations relative to the storm center as well as varying the size of the downburst. Overall it is found that downbursts larger than approx. 2,000 m in diameter might produce governing design wind loads above those from corresponding boundary layer winds for tall buildings.

Impact of Wind Profiler Data Assimilation on Wind Field Assessment over Coastal Areas

  • Park, Soon-Young;Lee, Hwa-Woon;Lee, Soon-Hwan;Kim, Dong-Hyeok
    • Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.4 no.3
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    • pp.198-210
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    • 2010
  • Precise analysis of local winds for the prediction of atmospheric phenomena in the planetary boundary layer is extremely important. In this study, wind profiler data with fine time resolution and density in the lower troposphere were used to improve the performance of a numerical atmospheric model of a complex coastal area. Three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) was used to assimilate profiler data. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of the profiler data on model results. First, we performed an observing system experiment. Second, we implemented a sensitivity test of data assimilation intervals to extend the advantages of the profiler to data assimilation. The lowest errors were observed when using both radio sonde and profiler data to interpret vertical and surface observation data. The sensitivity to the assimilation interval differed according to the synoptic conditions when the focus was on the surface results. The sensitivity to the weak synoptic effect was much larger than to the strong synoptic effect. The hourly-assimilated case showed the lowest root mean square error (RMSE, 1.62 m/s) and highest index of agreement (IOA, 0.82) under weak synoptic conditions, whereas the statistics in the 1, 3, and 6 hourly-assimilated cases were similar under strong synoptic conditions. This indicates that the profiler data better represent complex local circulation in the model with high time and vertical resolution, particularly when the synoptic effect is weak.

Assessment of vertical wind loads on lattice framework with application to thunderstorm winds

  • Mara, T.G.;Galsworthy, J.K.;Savory, E.
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.13 no.5
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    • pp.413-431
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    • 2010
  • The focus of this article is on the assessment of vertical wind vector components and their aerodynamic impact on lattice framework, specifically two distinct sections of a guyed transmission tower. Thunderstorm winds, notably very localized events such as convective downdrafts (including downbursts) and tornadoes, result in a different load on a tower's structural system in terms of magnitude and spatial distribution when compared to horizontal synoptic winds. Findings of previous model-scale experiments are outlined and their results considered for the development of a testing rig that allows for rotation about multiple body axes through a series of wind tunnel tests. Experimental results for the wind loads on two unique experimental models are presented and the difference in behaviour discussed. For a model cross arm with a solidity ratio of approximately 30%, the drag load was increased by 14% when at a pitch angle of $20^{\circ}$. Although the effects of rotation about the vertical body axis, or the traditional 'angle of attack', are recognized by design codes as being significant, provisions for vertical winds are absent from each set of wind loading specifications examined. The inclusion of a factor to relate winds with a vertical component to the horizontal speed is evaluated as a vertical wind factor applicable to load calculations. Member complexity and asymmetric geometry often complicate the use of lattice wind loading provisions, which is a challenge that extends to future studies and codification. Nevertheless, the present work is intended to establish a basis for such studies.

A forensic study of the Lubbock-Reese downdraft of 2002

  • Holmes, J.D.;Hangan, H.M.;Schroeder, J.L.;Letchford, C.W.;Orwig, K.D.
    • Wind and Structures
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.137-152
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    • 2008
  • This paper discusses engineering aspects of the rear-flank downdraft that was recorded near Lubbock, Texas on 4 June 2002, and produced a gust wind speed nearly equal to the design value (50-year return period) for the region. The general characteristics of the storm, and the decomposition of the time histories into deterministic 'running mean' and random turbulence components are discussed. The fluctuating wind speeds generated by the event can be represented as a dominant low-frequency 'running mean' with superimposed random turbulence of higher frequencies. Spectral and correlation characteristics of the residual turbulence are found to be similar to those of high-frequency turbulence in boundary-layer winds. However, the low-frequency components in the running-mean wind speeds are spatially homogeneous, in contrast to the low-frequency turbulence found in synoptic boundary-layer winds. With respect to transmission line design, this results in significantly higher 'span reduction factors'.