Large-Scale Open-Jet Testing: A new frontier in structural wind Engineering

Abstract

This study aims to meet the widely reported challenges associated with building aerodynamics by testing large-scale models in flows that exhibit complete turbulence (low- and high-frequency spectral content) at high Reynolds numbers. We tested 1:5 and 1:10 scale models of the Silsoe cube at multiple locations in the Louisiana State University (LSU) open-jet facility. The paper investigates the velocity-related parameters and the statistical quantities of roof pressures to yield a suitable scale and testing location in the facility. Moreover, we compare measured surface pressures with those from Tokyo Polytechnic University’s (TPU) wind tunnel and the Silsoe full-scale data to validate the results. We attempt to generate both small- and large-scale turbulence by employing the concept of flow without boundaries. The paper reveals the open-jet facility’s promising capabilities to produce mean and peak pressures on buildings, which accurately conform with the full-scale counterparts. The results suggest that the open-jet facility can generate realistic wind loads on low-rise buildings, a fundamental step towards reconciling current design guidelines for the evolution of code and standard provisions.