Wind-borne debris trajectory in high winds

Abstract

Non-structural damage to the façade of tall buildings, particularly those exposed to high wind speeds, is often caused by the impact of wind-borne debris. This dissertation describes the development of a probability-based framework for the analysis of debris trajectory in simulated boundary layer winds and for the prediction of the probability of impact against the vertical façade of these buildings. The work focuses on compact debris, i.e., objects of small dimensions and negligible mass moment of inertia (e.g., roof ballast elements, gravel, "bluff" shingles, etc.) The trajectories were computed for three different wind fields: (i) uniform wind field with constant horizontal velocity and no turbulence, (ii) "sudden" vertical gust superimposed to the uniform wind field and (iii) fully turbulent wind field.