Development of aerodynamic database via CFD and wind tunnel testing: Application for the performance based wind design of high-rise wood-based buildings

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The ever increasing urban intensification in major Canadian cities is driving architects, owners, insurers, and municipalities to increase the use of taller wood-based buildings. A recent study conducted by the Canadian Wood Council on the life cycle assessment of buildings suggested to increase wood buildings in the current urban texture to improve its sustainability and reduce its carbon foot print. Therefore, the new National Building Code of Canada increased the height limit on wood frame buildings from four to six stories. However, recent projects around the world showed the use of "mass-timber" to exceed the code based height limitations, and makes tall timber buildings reality and technically possible. To make this initiative practical and rational for designers, a robust design guideline is needed. One of the anticipated challenge for wood-based structures is their light weight and that may make them vulnerable to strong wind. In addition wood-based structural systems are complex and require detail wind performance analysis. One of the important step towards addressing these challenges is the generation of detailed wind loads for selected building shapes. These wind loads preferably should be very detailed in their temporal and spatial distribution to enable complex dynamic analysis of these new wood-based structures. To this end, this project will produce aerodynamic data-base via computational fluid dynamics based computer models and wind tunnel based experiments. Timber is one of the most sustainable material with a low carbon foot print, its wider use will directly contribute to the green economy of Canada, thus enabling Canada achieve its goal of limiting the carbon foot print.