• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.4
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• pp.425-434
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• 2020

Practical non-synoptic fluctuating wind often exhibits nonstationary features and should be modeled as nonstationary random processes. Generally, the coherence function of the fluctuating wind field has time-varying characteristics. Some studies have shown that there is a big difference between the fluctuating wind field of the coherent function model with and without time variability. Therefore, it is of significance to simulate nonstationary fluctuating wind field with time-varying coherent function. However, current studies on the numerical simulation of nonstationary fluctuating wind field with time-varying coherence are very limited, and the proposed approaches are usually based on the traditional spectral representation method with low simulation efficiency. Especially, for the simulation of multi-variable wind field of large span structures such as transmission tower-line, not only the simulation is inefficient but also the matrix decomposition may have singularity problem. In this paper, it is proposed to conduct the numerical simulation of nonstationary fluctuating wind field in one-spatial dimension with time-varying coherence based on the wavenumber-frequency spectrum. The simulated multivariable nonstationary wind field with time-varying coherence is transformed into one-dimensional nonstationary random waves in the simulated spatial domain, and the simulation by wavenumber frequency spectrum is derived. So, the proposed simulation method can avoid the complicated Cholesky decomposition. Then, the proper orthogonal decomposition is employed to decompose the time-space dependent evolutionary power spectral density and the Fourier transform of time-varying coherent function, simultaneously, so that the two-dimensional Fast Fourier transform can be applied to further improve the simulation efficiency. Finally, the proposed method is applied to simulate the longitudinal nonstationary fluctuating wind velocity field along the transmission line to illustrate its performances.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.433-455
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• 2013

A phase delay spectrum model towards the representation of spatial coherence of stochastic wind fields is proposed. Different from the classical coherence functions used in the spectral representation methods, the model is derived from the comprehensive description of coherence of fluctuating wind speeds and from the thorough analysis of physical accounts of random factors affecting phase delay, building up a consistent mapping between the simulated fluctuating wind speeds and the basic random variables. It thus includes complete probabilistic information of spatial stochastic wind fields. This treatment prompts a ready and succinct scheme for the simulation of fluctuating wind speeds, and provides a new perspective to the accurate assessment of dynamic reliability of wind-induced structures. Numerical investigations and comparative studies indicate that the developed model is of rationality and of applicability which matches well with the measured data at spatial points of wind fields, whereby the phase spectra at defined datum mark and objective point are feasibly obtained using the numerical scheme associated with the starting-time of phase evolution. In conjunction with the stochastic Fourier amplitude spectrum that we developed previously, the time history of fluctuating wind speeds at any spatial points of wind fields can be readily simulated.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-435
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• 2022

To investigate the non-Gaussian properties of fluctuating wind pressures and the error margin of extreme wind loads on a long-span curved roof with matching and mismatching ratios of turbulence integral scales to depth (L_u^x/D), a series of synchronized pressure tests on the rigid model of the complex curved roof were conducted. The regions of Gaussian distribution and non-Gaussian distribution were identified by two criteria, which were based on the cumulative probabilities of higher-order statistical moments (skewness and kurtosis coefficients, S_k and K_u) and spatial correlation of fluctuating wind pressures, respectively. Then the characteristics of fluctuating wind-loads in the non-Gaussian region were analyzed in detail in order to understand the effects of turbulence integral-scale. Results showed that the fluctuating pressures with obvious negative-skewness appear in the area near the leading edge, which is categorized as the non-Gaussian region by both two identification criteria. Comparing with those in the wind field with matching L_u^x/D, the range of non-Gaussian region almost unchanged with a smaller L_u^x/D, while the non-Gaussian features become more evident, leading to higher values of S_k, Ku and peak factor. On contrary, the values of fluctuating pressures become lower in the wind field with a smaller L_u^x/D, eventually resulting in underestimation of extreme wind loads. Hence, the matching relationship of turbulence integral scale to depth should be carefully considered as estimating the extreme wind loads of long-span roof by wind tunnel tests.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.837-846
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• 2017

An accurate calculation of the stochastic wind field is the foundation for analyzing wind-induced structure response and reliability. In this research, the spatial correlation of structural wind field was considered based on the time domain method. A method for calculating the stochastic wind field based on cross stochastic Fourier spectrum was proposed. A flowchart of the proposed methodology is also presented in this study to represent the algorithm and workflow. Along with the analysis of regional wind speed distribution, the wind speed time history sample was calculated, and the efficiency can therefore be verified. Results show that the proposed method and programs could provide an efficient simulation for the wind-induced structure response analysis, and help determine the related parameters easily.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2017

Wind environment in urban residential areas is an important index to consider when evaluating the living environment. However, due to the complexity of the flow field in residential areas, it is difficult to specify the correct inflow boundary conditions in the large eddy simulation (LES). In this paper, the weighted amplitude wave superposition (WAWS) is adopted to simulate the fluctuating velocity data, which satisfies the desired target wind field. The fluctuating velocity data are given to the inlet boundary of the LES by developing an UDF script, which is implemented into the FLUENT. Then, two numerical models - the empty numerical wind tunnel model and the numerical wind tunnel model with spires and roughness elements are established based on the wind tunnel experiment to verify the present method. Finally, the turbulence generation approach presented in this paper is used to carry out a numerical simulation on the wind environment in an urban residential area in Lisbon. The computational results are compared with the wind tunnel experimental data, showing that the numerical results in the LES have a good agreement with the experimental results, and the simulated flow field with the inlet fluctuations can generate a reasonable turbulent wind field. It also shows that strong wind velocities and turbulent kinetic energy occur at the passageways, which may affect the comfort of people in the residential neighborhood, and the small wind velocities and vortexes appear at the leeward corners of buildings, which may affect the spreading of the pollutants.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.575-595
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• 2020

The characteristics of winds associated with tropical cyclones are of great significance in many engineering fields. This paper presents an investigation of wind characteristics over a coastal urban terrain based on field measurements collected from multiple cup anemometers and ultrasonic anemometers equipped at 13 height levels on a 356-m-high meteorological tower in Shenzhen during severe Typhoon Hato. Several wind quantities, including wind spectrum, gust factor, turbulence intensity and length scale as well as wind profile, are presented and discussed. Specifically, the probability distributions of fluctuating wind speeds are analyzed in connection with the normal distribution and the generalized extreme value distribution. The von Karman spectral model is found to be suitable to depict the energy distributions of three-dimensionally fluctuating winds. Gust factors, turbulence intensity and length scale are determined and discussed. Moreover, this paper presents the wind profiles measured during the typhoon, and a comparative study of the vertical distribution of wind speeds from the field measurements and existing empirical models is performed. The influences of the topography features and wind speeds on the wind profiles were investigated based on the field-measured wind records. In general, the empirical models can provide reasonable predictions for the measured wind speed profiles over a typical coastal urban area during a severe typhoon.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.43-68
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• 2013

The fluctuating wind induced vibration is one of the most important factors which has been taken into account in the design of long-span bridge due to the low stiffness and low natural frequency. Field measurement characteristics of sustained wind on structure site can provide accurate wind load parameters for wind field simulation and structural wind resistance design. As a suspension bridge with 1490 m main span, the Runyang Suspension Bridge (RSB) has high sensitivity to fluctuating wind. The simultaneous and continuously wind environment field measurement both in mid-span and on tower top is executed from 2005 up to now by the structural health monitoring system installed on this bridge. Based on the recorded data, the wind characteristic parameters, including mean wind speed, wind direction, the turbulence intensity, the gust factors, the turbulence integral length, power spectrum and spatial correlation, are analyzed in detail and the coherence functions of those parameters are evaluated using statistical method in this paper. The results indicate that, the turbulence component of sustain wind is larger than extremely strong winds although its mean wind speed is smaller; the correlation between turbulence parameters is obvious; the power spectrum is special and not accord with the Simiu spectrum and von Karman spectrum. Results obtained in this study can be used to evaluate the long term reliability of the Runyang Suspension Bridge and provide reference values for wind resistant design of other structures in this region.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.579-607
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• 2015

A Combination Random Flow Generation (CRFG) technique for obtaining the fluctuating inflow boundary conditions for Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is proposed. The CRFG technique was developed by combining the typical RFG technique with a novel calculation of k and ${\varepsilon}$ to estimate the length- and time-scales (l, ${\tau}$) of the target fluctuating turbulence field used as the inflow boundary conditions. Through comparatively analyzing the CRFG technique and other existing numerical/experimental results, the CRFG technique was verified for the generation of turbulent wind velocity fields with prescribed turbulent statistics. Using the turbulent velocity fluctuations generated by the CRFG technique, a series of LESs were conducted to investigate the wind flow around S-, R-, L- and U-shaped building models. As the pressures of the models were also measured in wind tunnel tests, the validity of the LES, and the effectiveness of the inflow boundary generated by the CRFG techniques were evaluated through comparing the simulation results to the wind tunnel measurements. The comparison showed that the LES accurately and reliably simulates the wind-induced pressure distributions on the building surfaces, which indirectly validates the CRFG technique in generating realistic fluctuating wind velocities for use in the LES. In addition to the pressure distribution, the LES results were investigated in terms of wind velocity profiles around the building models to reveal the wind flow dynamics around bluff bodies. The LES results quantitatively showed the decay of the bluff body influence when the flow moves away from the building model.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-129
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• 2012

Codes for structural design usually assume that the incident mean wind velocity is parallel to the ground, which constitutes a valid simplification for frequent winds caused by sypnoptic events. Wind effects due to other phenomena, such as thunderstorm downbursts, are simply neglected. In this paper, results of recent and ongoing research on this topic in Brazil are presented. The model of the three-dimensional wind velocity field originated from a downburst in a thunderstorm (TS), proposed by Ponte and Riera for engineering applications, is first described. This model allows the generation of a spatially and temporally variable velocity field, which also includes a fluctuating component of the velocity. All parameters are related to meteorological variables, which are susceptible of statistical assessment. An application of the model in the simulation of the wind climate in a region sujected to both EPS and TS winds is discussed next. It is shown that, once the relevant meteorological variables are known, the simulation of the wind excitation for purposes of design of transmission lines, long-span crossings and similar structures is feasible. Complementing the theoretical studies, wind velocity records during a recent TS event in southern Brazil are presented and preliminary conclusions on the validity of the proposed models discussed.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.191-204
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• 2018

This article presents a study of the largest-ever (height = 220 m) cooling tower using the large eddy simulation (LES) method. Information about fluid fields around the tower and 3D aerodynamic time history in full construction process were obtained, and the wind pressure distribution along the entire tower predicted by the developed model was compared with standard curves and measured curves to validate the effectiveness of the simulating method. Based on that, average wind pressure distribution and characteristics of fluid fields in the construction process of ultra-large cooling tower were investigated. The characteristics of fluid fields in full construction process and their working principles were investigated based on wind speeds and vorticities under different construction conditions. Then, time domain characteristics of ultra-large cooling towers in full construction process, including fluctuating wind loads, extreme wind loads, lift and drag coefficients, and relationship of measuring points, were studied and fitting formula of extreme wind load as a function of height was developed based on the nonlinear least square method. Additionally, the frequency domain characteristics of wind loads on the constructing tower, including wind pressure power spectrum at typical measuring points, lift and drag power spectrum, circumferential correlations between typical measuring points, and vertical correlations of lift coefficient and drag coefficient, were analyzed. The results revealed that the random characteristics of fluctuating wind loads, as well as corresponding extreme wind pressure and power spectra curves, varied significantly and in real time with the height of the constructing tower. This study provides references for design of wind loads during construction period of ultra-large cooling towers.