ABSTRACT
Practising structural engineers will not generally themselves operate wind tunnels or other laboratory equipment, for simulation of strong wind effects on structures, but they may be clients of specialist groups who will provide wind loading information for new or existing structures, usually by means of model tests. For this reason, this chapter will not attempt to describe in detail wind-tunnel or other simulation techniques. There are detailed references, guide books and manuals of practice available which perform this function (e.g. Cermak, 1977; Reinhold, 1982; American Society of Civil Engineers, 1999; Australasian Wind Engineering Society, 2001). However, sufficient detail is given here to enable the educated client to be able to ‘ask the right questions’ of their windtunnel contractors.
