Physical or numerical modelling or both?
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The aerodynamic characteristics of offshore and civil structures affect a variety of safety and environmental design aspects of development.
Typical issues for civil engineering developments
- Cladding pressures
- Wind Loads
- Wind Environment
- Pitch microclimate (stadia)
- HVAC performance
- Wind driven rain
- Internal and external microclimate
- Air quality
Two engineering tools are available to designers to determine the range of aerodynamics issues: physical modelling (wind tunnel testing) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling. The choice of tool employed in an aerodynamic investigation should be based on its suitability for determining the flow patterns of interest, taking account of the limitations and advantages of each tool.
Integrated approach
An integration approach using both physical modelling and computational modelling can be beneficial to address the full range of design issues.
For further information please click on the links below:
- Ian Castro and Mike Graham, Numerical Wind Engineering: the Way Ahead? Proc. Institute of Civil Engineers, Structures & Buildings, 1999, 134, Aug, 275-277
- Professor Peter Bearman - Tortoise and the Hare, BMT Focus 1999