Thunderstorm action modelling – laying the foundation for a probabilistic framework
conference paper
A series of novel experiments were undertaken at the WindEEE Research Institute to lay the foundations for the establishment of a probabilistic framework for the modelling of thunderstorm wind actions. Six experiments cov ered a variety of realistic conditions ranging from isolated downbursts, boundary layer winds and a combination of the two. Data was obtained which enables in vestigation of both the fundamental physics of the flow and its interaction with a low-rise building with plan dimensions of 381.0 mm × 243.8 mm, a roof slope of 1:4, and eave and ridge heights of 73.2 mm and 103.7 mm, respectively. A geo metric scale of 1:200 was adopted. The building was placed at a variety of radial distances from the downburst impingement centre, i.e., r/D = 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2, where r is the radial distance and D is the nominal diameter of the downdraft jet prior to impingement. Yaw angles from 0° to 90° were investigated. All experi ments were repeated eight times to capture uncertainty and enable a preliminary statistical treatment of the data. This repetition enables the definition of proba bilistic aerodynamic coefficients, moving beyond conventional deterministic in terpretations. Preliminary analyses indicate that, while the global aerodynamic behaviour of the building remains comparable to that observed under stationary boundary layer winds, downburst loading produces systematic modifications in pressure magnitude, spatial distribution, and peak amplification mechanisms. These findings support the need for dedicated probabilistic models for non-syn-optic wind actions
Topics
TNO Identifier
1026266
Source title
ERIES Conference (Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies), Mei 2026
Pages
1-12
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