• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.287-297
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• 2023

This paper briefly discusses current issues in wind engineering, including the enhancement of aerodynamic database and AI-assisted design, aerodynamic characteristics of tall buildings with atypical building shapes, application of computation fluid dynamics to wind engineering, evaluation of aerodynamic force coefficients based on a probabilistic method, estimation of tornadic wind speed (JEF scale) and effect of the Ekman Spiral on tall buildings.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.369-382
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• 2018

Tornadoes are vertical swirling air formed because of the existence of layers of air with contrasting features of temperature, wind flow, moisture, and density. Tornadoes induce completely different wind forces than a straight-line (SL) wind. A suitably designed building for an SL wind may fail when exposed to a tornado-wind of the same wind speed. It is necessary to design buildings that are more resistant to tornadoes. In tornado-damaged areas, dome buildings seem to have less damage. As a dome structure is naturally wind resistant, domes have been used in back yards, as single family homes, as in-law quarters, man caves, game rooms, storm shelters, etc. However, little attention has been paid to the tornadic wind interactions with dome buildings. In this work, the tornado forces on a dome are computed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for tornadic and SL wind. Then, the interaction of a tornado with a dome and a prism building are compared and analyzed. This work describes the results of the tornado wind effect on dome and prism buildings. The conclusions drawn from this study are illustrated in visualizations. The tornado force coefficients on a dome building are larger than SL wind forces, about 120% more in x- and y-directions and 280% more in z-direction. The tornado maximum pressure coefficients are also higher than SL wind by 150%. The tornado force coefficients on the prism are larger than the forces on the dome, about 100% more in x- and y-directions, and about 180% more in z-direction. The tornado maximum pressure coefficients on prism also are greater those on dome by 150% more. Hence, a dome building has less tornadic load than a prism because of its aerodynamic shape.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.123-136
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• 2018

The effects of steep and shallow hills on a stationary tornado-like vortex with a swirl ratio of 0.4 are simulated and quantified as Fractional Speed Up Ratios (FSUR) at three different locations of the vortex with respect to the crests of the hills. Steady state Reynolds Averaged Naiver Stokes (RANS) equations closed using Reynolds Stress Turbulence model are used to simulate stationary tornadoes. The tornado wind field obtained from the numerical simulations is first validated with previous experimental and numerical studies by comparing radial and tangential velocities, and ground static pressure. A modified fractional speed-up ratio (FSUR) evaluation technique, appropriate to the complexity of the tornadic flow, is then developed. The effects of the hill on the radial, tangential and vertical flow components are assessed. It is observed that the effect of the hill on the radial and vertical component of the flow is more pronounced, compared to the tangential component. Besides, the presence of the hill is also seen to relocate the center of tornadic flow. New FSUR values are produced for shallow and steep hills.