NIST Advances in Computer-Aided and Computational Methods in Wind Engineering

Abstract

The paper summarizes recent research and development of computer-aided and computational methods in wind engineering at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specific topics to be covered include: 1. Time-domain database-assisted design of tall, flexible structures excited by turbulent winds inducing dynamic structural responses. 2. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) estimates of aerodynamic pressure on low-rise buildings with geometrical dimensions comparable to the acrosswind integral turbulence length scale. 3. Development of synthetic directional wind speed databases covering on the order of 10,000 years, from measured wind speeds over periods of approximately 30 years. 4. Probability distributions of hurricane wind speeds, Gulf and Atlantic coasts. 5. Extreme wind speeds in non-hurricane prone conterminous United States. 6. Estimates of hurricane-borne missile speeds. 7. Disaster and Failure Events Repository -a new research tool for archival and analysis of post-disaster information and data.