ABSTRACT
The main structure of a tall building and its façade must be designed to safely withstand the extreme winds to which the building will be subjected during its expected life. The wind loads, and appropriate load factors that allow for uncertainty in ordinary buildings, are often prescribed by the analytical methods given in building codes. Wind tunnel testing involves highly developed and specialized methodologies and terminology. The wind load formulae of building codes have been developed primarily for low-rise buildings and typically address, with a few exceptions, only wind loads in the along-wind direction. Wind climate involves the statistics of wind speed and direction. Where the design wind speed is based on well documented research by established experts, it would be normal for the wind tunnel laboratory to make predictions based on a statistical wind model that matches that speed. The most common sources of wind data are anemometer records from local meteorological stations, usually located at airports.
