Determination of load differences between straight winds and tornadoes in the windEEE dome

雷暴风系统，如龙卷风和下击暴流约占。北美大陆建筑物和结构的总风力破坏的65%。这些风力系统尚未在设计实践中考虑。 西部大学的WindmartDome是一种新型的风力测试设施，它可以第一次以真实的龙卷风的1/100（或大约1/100）的尺度产生和转换龙卷风样的漩涡。直径5米）。 Windfront正在开发方法，通过匹配移动的多普勒雷达在真实的龙卷风中测量的全尺寸数据，再现几个藤田尺度（EF 0和EF 4之间）的龙卷风代表。因此，Windmills正在开发一种独特的能力，为建筑物和结构提供测试龙卷风的能力。 与FM Global合作提出了一个多阶段计划，以确定重要公共和工业建筑物上的龙卷风荷载。几个通用的建筑几何形状将被设计和测试在传统的直风和龙卷风风。该研究将调查这两种类型的风力系统之间的风荷载差异以及与这些事件相关的风险差异。其成果将用于规范实施、潜在的建筑改造和加拿大和北美的更好设计实践。

Thunderstorm wind systems such as tornadoes and downbursts account for approx. 65% of the total wind damage to buildings and structures in continental North America. These wind systems have not been yet accounted in design practice. The WindEEE Dome at Western University is a novel wind testing facility that can, for the first time, produce and translate tornado-like vortices at scales of the order of 1/100 of real tornadoes (or approx. 5 meters in diameter). WindEEE is developing methods to reproduce tornadoes representatives of several Fujita Scales (between EF0 and EF4) by matching full scale data measured in real tornadoes by Mobile Doppler Radars. WindEEE is therefore developing a unique capacity to provide testing capabilities for buildings and structures to tornado winds. A multi-phase program is proposed in collaboration with FM Global in order to determine tornado loading on important public and industrial buildings. Several generic buildings geometries will be designed and tested in both conventional straight winds and in tornadic winds. The research will investigate the differences in wind loading between these two types of wind system as well as differences in the risk associated with these events. The outcomes will be directed towards code implementations, potential building retrofit and better design practices in Canada and North America.