Lifetime experiences in wind engineering

Abstract

The experiences and contributions of the author over nearly 50 years in wind engineering are described. These cover the development of wind tunnel testing techniques and measurement methods as well as practical experiences on tall buildings, bridges, large span roofs, and research into small structures. The aerodynamics of tall buildings has emerged as critical to the design of the new generation of supertall and super-slender buildings. As well, supplementary damping systems are also now accepted as an efficient way to control building motions. For large span roofs snow loads, as influenced by drifting, can be the most critical governing load. The author describes methods for determining snow loads in a rational manner using the Finite Area Element Method. Experiences with long span bridges are described including optimization of shape. More recently the author has been involved with the development of the Partial Turbulence Simulation method applicable to small structures. A theme of the paper is that many useful advances in wind engineering have come from wind engineers’ collaboration with designers on specific projects. Therefore, maintaining strong ties with the design industry will ensure a bright future for wind engineering.