• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.171-191
• /
• 2024

Wind Driven Rain (WDR) poses a significant threat to the building environment, especially in hurricane prone regions by causing interior and content damage during tropical storms and hurricanes. The damage due to rain intrusion depends on the total amount of water that enters the building; however, owing to the use of inadequate empirical methods, the amount of water intrusion is difficult to estimate accurately. Hence, the need to achieve full-scale testing capable of realistically simulating rain intrusion is widely recognized. This paper presents results of a full-scale experimental simulation at the NHERI Wall of Wind Experimental Facility (WOW EF) aimed at obtaining realistic rain characteristics as experienced by structures during tropical storms and hurricanes. A full-scale simulation of rain in strong winds would allow testing WDR intrusion through typical building components. A study of rain intrusion through a sliding glass door is presented, which accounted for the effects of multiple wind directions, test durations and wind speeds; configurations with and without shuttering systems were also considered. The study showed that significant levels of water intrusion can occur during conditions well below current design levels. The knowledge gained through this work may enhance risk modeling pertaining to loss estimates due to WDR intrusion in buildings, and it may help quantify the potential reduction of losses due to the additional protection from shuttering systems on sliding glass doors during winds.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2010.05a
• /
• pp.242-246
• /
• 2010

To determine the trajectories and the impact of rain drops on the facade of a tall building, a particle tracking method is employed form steady state simulation of turbulent flow around the building. The simulation is performed for the upper part of the building comprising a detailed louver system. Rain is trapped at relative high rates on the roof and the penthouse, with Local Intensity Factors (LIF's) of the order of 1. The upper parapets and upper floors get a fair amount of wetting with LIF's of the order of 0.6. The wetting decreases downwards reaching values of 0.2 to 0.25 at the level of the louver system.