• Wind and Structures
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.465-480
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• 2017

Modelling an equilibrium atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in computational wind engineering (CWE) and relevant areas requires the boundary conditions, the turbulence model and associated constants to be consistent with each other. Among them, the inflow boundary conditions play an important role and determine whether the equations of the turbulence model are satisfied in the whole domain. In this paper, the idea of modeling an equilibrium ABL through specifying proper inflow boundary conditions is extended to the SST $k-{\omega}$ model, which is regarded as a better RANS model for simulating the blunt body flow than the standard $k-{\varepsilon}$ model. Two new sets of inflow boundary conditions corresponding to different descriptions of the inflow velocity profiles, the logarithmic law and the power law respectively, are then theoretically proposed and numerically verified. A method of determining the undetermined constants and a set of parameter system are then given, which are suitable for the standard wind terrains defined in the wind load code. Finally, the full inflow boundary condition equations considering the scale effect are presented for the purpose of general use.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.419-440
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• 2006

This article synthesizes the literature on the meteorology, experimental simulation, and wind engineering ramifications of intense downburst outflows. A novel design of a large-scale test facility and experimental evidence of its validity are presented. A two-dimensional slot jet is used to simulate only the outflow region of a downburst. Profiles of mean velocity and turbulence quantities are acquired using hot-wire anemometry. Comparison with the literature provides empirical evidence that supports the current approach. A geometric analysis considers the validity of applying a two-dimensional approximation for downburst wind loading of structures. This analysis is applicable to power transmission lines in particular. The slot jet concept can be implemented in a large boundary layer wind tunnel to enable large-scale laboratory experiments of thunderstorm wind loads on structures.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.177-193
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• 2017

The accelerated development of new materials, technologies and construction processes, in parallel with advances in computational algorithms and ever growing computational power, is leading to more daring and innovative architectural and structural designs. The search for non-regular building shapes and slender structures, as alternative to the traditional architectural forms that have been prevailing in the building sector, poses important engineering challenges in the assessment of the strength and mechanical stability of non-conventional structures and systems, namely against highly variable actions as wind and seismic forces. In case of complex structures, laboratory experiments are a widely used methodology for strength assessment and loading characterization. Nevertheless, powerful numerical tools providing reliable results are also available today and able to compete with the experimental approach. In this paper the wind action on a free-form complex thin shell is investigated through 3D-CFD simulation in terms of the pressure coefficients and global forces generated. All the modelling aspects and calibrating process are described. The results obtained showed that the CFD technique is effective in the study of the wind effects on complex-shaped structures.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.93-124
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• 2017

Aeroelastic performance controls wing shape in flight and its behaviour under manoeuvre and gust loads. Controlling the wing‟s aeroelastic performance can therefore offer weight and fuel savings. In this paper, the rib orientation and the crenellated skin concept are used to control wing deformation under aerodynamic load. The impact of varying the rib/crenellation orientation, the crenellation width and thickness on the tip twist, tip displacement, natural frequencies, flutter speed and gust response are investigated. Various wind-off and wind-on loads are considered through Finite Element modelling and experiments, using wings manufactured through polyamide laser sintering. It is shown that it is possible to influence the aeroelastic behaviour using the rib and crenellation orientation, e.g., flutter speed increased by up to 14.2% and gust loads alleviated by up to 6.4%. A reasonable comparison between numerical and experimental results was found.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2020.12a
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• pp.75-84
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• 2020

Modular construction is a construction method whereby prefabricated volumetric units are produced in a factory and are installed on site to form a building block. The construction productivity can be substantially improved by the manufacturing and assembly of standardized modular units. 3D printing is a computer-controlled fabrication method first adopted in the manufacturing industry and was utilized for the automated construction of small-scale houses in recent years. Implementing 3D printing in the fabrication of modular units brings huge benefits to modular construction, including increased customization, lower material waste, and reduced labor work. Such implementation also benefits the large-scale and wider adoption of 3D printing in engineering practice. However, a critical issue for 3D printed modules is the loading capacity, particularly in response to horizontal forces like wind load, which requires a deeper understanding of the building structure behavior and the design of load-bearing modules. Therefore, this paper presents the state-of-the-art literature concerning recent achievement in 3D printing for buildings, followed by discussion on the opportunities and challenges for examining 3D printing in modular construction. Promising 3D printing techniques are critically reviewed and discussed with regard to their advantages and limitations in construction. The appropriate structural form needs to be determined at the design stage, taking into consideration the overall building structural behavior, site environmental conditions (e.g., wind), and load-carrying capacity of the 3D printed modules. Detailed finite element modelling of the entire modular buildings needs to be conducted to verify the structural performance, considering the code-stipulated lateral drift, strength criteria, and other design requirements. Moreover, integration of building information modelling (BIM) method is beneficial for generating the material and geometric details of the 3D printed modules, which can then be utilized for the fabrication.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.79-85
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• 2016

This paper analyzed the influence of wind power fluctuations in grid frequency of a stand-alone microgrid that is hybrid generation system with diesel generator, wind turbine, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The existing island area power system consists of only diesel generators. So the grid frequency can be controllable from load change. But hybrid generation system with Renewable Energy Sources (RES) such as wind energy that has the intermittent output can bring power quality problems. BESS is one of the ways to improve the intermittent output of the RES. In this paper, we analyzed the role of BESS in a stand-alone microgrid. We designed a modelling of wind power system with squirrel-cage induction generator, diesel power system with synchronous generator, and BESS using transient analysis program PSCAD/EMTDC. And we analyzed the variation of the grid frequency according to the output of BESS.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.29-41
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• 2020

Cross-beams of modern through truss bridges are connected to truss chord at its nodes and between them. It results in variable rotational end restraint for cross-beams, thus variable bending moment distribution. This feature is captured in three-dimensional modelling of through truss bridge structure. However, for preliminary design or rapid assessment of service load effects such technique of analysis may not be available. So an analytical method of assessment of rotational end restraint for cross-beam of through truss bridges was worked out. Two cases - nodal cross-beam and inter-nodal cross-beam - were analyzed. Flexural and torsional stiffness of truss members, flexural stiffness of deck members and axial stiffness of wind bracing members in the vicinity of the analyzed cross-beam were taken into account. The provision for reduced stiffness of the X-type wind bracing was made. Finally, general formula for assessment of rotational end restraint was given. Rotational end restraints for cross-beams of three railway through truss bridges were assessed basing on the analytical method and the finite element method (three-dimensional beam-element modelling). Results of both methods show good agreement. The analytical method is able to reflect effects of some structural irregularities. On the basis of the obtained results the general values of rotational end restraint for nodal and inter-nodal cross-beams of railway through truss bridges were suggested.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.339-359
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• 2019

Pre-stressed concrete poles are among the supporting systems used to support transmission lines. It is essential to protect transmission line systems from harsh environmental attacks such as downburst wind events. Typically, these poles are designed to resist synoptic wind loading as current codes do not address high wind events in the form of downbursts. In the current study, the behavior of guyed pre-stressed concrete Transmission lines is studied under downburst loads. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first investigation to assess the behaviour of guyed pre-stressed concrete poles under downburst events. Due to the localized nature of those events, identifying the critical locations and parameters leading to peak forces on the poles is a challenging task. To overcome this challenge, an in-house built numerical model is developed incorporating the following: (1) a three-dimensional downburst wind field previously developed and validated using computational fluid dynamics simulations; (2) a computationally efficient analytical technique previously developed and validated to predict the non-linear behaviour of the conductors including the effects of the pretension force, sagging, insulator's stiffness and the non-uniform distribution of wind loads, and (3) a non-linear finite element model utilized to simulate the structural behaviour of the guyed pre-stressed concrete pole considering material nonlinearity. A parametric study is conducted by varying the downbursts locations relative to the guyed pole while considering three different span values. The results of this parametric study are utilized to identify critical downburst configurations leading to peak straining actions on the pole and the guys. This is followed by comparing the obtained critical load cases to new load cases proposed to ASCE-74 loading committee. A non-linear failure analysis is then conducted for the three considered guyed pre-stressed concrete transmission line systems to determine the downburst jet velocity at which the pole systems fail.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.287-306
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• 2002

The assessment of structural performance of transfer structures under potential seismic actions is presented. Various seismic assessment methodologies are used, with particular emphasis on the accurate modelling of the higher mode effects and the potential development of a soft storey effect in the mega-columns below the transfer plate (TP) level. Those methods include response spectrum analysis (RSA), manual calculation, pushover analysis (POA) and equivalent static load analysis (ESA). The capabilities and limitations of each method are highlighted. The paper aims, firstly, to determine the appropriate seismic assessment methodology for transfer structures using these different approaches, all of which can be undertaken with the resources generally available in a design office. Secondly, the paper highlights and discusses factors influencing the response behaviour of transfer structures, and finally provides a general indication of their seismic vulnerability. The representative Hong Kong building considered in this paper utilises a structural system with coupled shear walls and moment resisting portal-frames, above and below the TP, respectively. By adopting the wind load profile stipulated in the Code of Practice on Wind Effects: Hong Kong-1983, all the structural members are sized and detailed according to the British Standards BS8110 and the current local practices. The seismic displacement demand for the structure, when built on either rock or deep soil sites, was determined in a companion paper. The lateral load-displacement characteristic of the building, determined herein from manual calculation, has indicated that the poor ductility (brittle nature) of the mega-columns, due mainly to the high level of axial pre-compression as found from the analysis, cannot be effectively alleviated solely by increasing the quantity of confinement stirrups. The interstorey drift demands at lower and upper zones caused by seismic actions are found to be substantially higher than those arising from wind loads. The mega-columns supporting the TP and the coupling beams at higher zones are identified to be the most vulnerable components under seismic actions.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.209-223
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• 2019

The assessment of wind-induced vibration for tall reinforced concrete (RC) buildings requires the accurate estimation of their dynamic properties, e.g., the fundamental vibration periods and damping ratios. In this study, RC frame-shear wall systems designed under gravity and wind loadings have been evaluated by utilising 3D FE modelling incorporating eigen-analysis to obtain the elastic periods of vibration. The conducted parameters consist of the number of storeys, the plan aspect ratio (AR) of buildings, the core dimensions, the space efficiency (SE), and the leasing depth (LD) between the internal central core and outer frames. This analysis provides a reliable basis for further investigating the effects of these parameters and establishing new formulas for predicting the fundamental vibration periods by using regression analyses on the obtained results. The proposed constrained numerically based formula for vibration periods of tall RC frame-shear wall office buildings in terms of the height of buildings reasonably agrees with some cited formulas for vibration period from design codes and standards. However, the same proposed formula has a high discrepancy with other cited formulas from the rest of design codes and standards. Also, the proposed formula agrees well with some cited experimentally based formulas.