ABSTRACT
The assurance of structural safety and reliability under wind loads requires accurate modeling of wind load effects relying heavily on our understanding of bluff body aerodynamics and aeroelasticity. The intractability of wind-structure interactions amidst complex urban topography has precluded analytical treatment of the subject with the exception of buffeting effects (Davenport, 1967; Zhou and Kareem, 2001; Kwon and Kareem, 2009). Therefore, physical modeling of wind effects in boundary layer wind tunnels has served as a most effective tool for ascertaining these load effects (Cermak, 1975). Accordingly, the last few decades have witnessed significant advances in wind tunnel technology, full-scale monitoring, sensors/transducers, instrumentation, data acquisition systems, data fusion and mining strategies, laser Doppler-based technologies, geographical information and positioning systems (GIS) and (GPS), and information technologies, which have increased our ability to better monitor and process gathered information for improved understanding of the complexities and nuances of how wind interacts with structures, the attendant load effects and their modeling.
