A Cyber-Based Data-Enabled Virtual Organization for Wind Load Effects on Civil Infrastructures: VORTEX-Winds

Abstract

Despite many advances in the area of wind effects on structures in recent decades, research has been traditionally conducted within limited resources scattered geographically. With the trend toward increasingly complex designs of civil infrastructure combined with the escalating potential for losses by extreme wind events, a new culture of research needs to be established based on innovative and collaborative solutions for better management of the impact of extreme wind events. To address this change, this paper presents a new paradigm of a multiscale cyber-based laboratory framework for the analysis/ design, modeling, and simulation of wind load effects based on an ongoing collaborative cyberinfrastructure-based platform, Virtual Organization for Reducing the Toll of EXtreme Winds (VORTEX-Winds, https://vortex-winds.org), and discusses its current status since its inception in 2007 and ongoing developments. This collaborative framework as it evolves would enable a paradigm shift by offering advanced cyber-enabled modules (e-modules) for accelerating advances in research and education to achieve improved understanding and better modeling of wind effects on structures. Accordingly, it will enhance wind community's analysis and design capabilities to address next-gener ation challenges posed by wind. Through empowering those without computational or experimental resources, the e-modules will encompass a large set of subject areas and topics categorized as Database-enabled design, Full-scale/Field site data repository, Statistical/Stochastic toolboxes, Tele-experimentation, Uncertainty modeling, Damage assessment, and Computational platforms. This prototype will allow access to the individual e-module, while it is envisaged that next level of development in VORTEX-Winds will have the capability for an automated and integrated analysis/design through a nexus of e-modules. A highlight of the e-modules currently completed or in development is presented not only to show the efficacy of the framework to enhance and supplement the limitation of traditional off-line approaches but also to describe architecture and features of e-modules to promote additional cyber-enabled data-driven developments in the field.

Vibration Analysis and Human Comfort Assessment of Building Subjected to Wind Dynamic Loads

“…Figure 7 illustrates the configuration of the calculated dimensionless wind pressure coefficients on the building's facade using CFD techniques [6]. Table 2 presents these coefficients having in mind the calculations according to the building windward direction considering the HFPI-TPU [4] and DEDM-HRP [5] databases, CFD modelling [6], and the Brazilian standard NBR 6123 [7]. These pressure coefficients will be used to generate the nondeterministic wind loads.…”

“…Initially, it must be emphasized that in this investigation, the Database Assisted Methods [4][5]; the CFD techniques [6], and the Brazilian standard NBR 6123 [7] recommendations are used only in the first step associated to the calculations of the wind pressure coefficients. After that, the nondeterministic wind dynamic loads acting on the on the investigated building's facade are generated based on the developed analysis methodology [1][2][3].…”

“…It must be emphasized that the results obtained throughout this investigation, utilising the wind pressure coefficients determined by Database Assisted Methods [4][5], CFD techniques [6] and by the Brazilian design standard NBR-62123 [7] have indicated important quantitative differences, when the building nondeterministic dynamic structural response (displacements and accelerations) was investigated and the structure human comfort was assessed.…”

A Cloud-Enabled Application Framework for Simulating Regional-Scale Impacts of Natural Hazards on the Built Environment

“…For earthquake hazard studies, the SimCenter workflow tools include software applications for (i) generating earthquake target spectra from the USGS OpenSHA web service, (ii) selecting and scaling recorded ground motions from the PEER NGA database, (iii) generating simulated stochastic ground motions, and (iv) ingesting simulated ground motions from databases of simulated and recorded ground motions. For wind and storm surge studies, the workflow can support (i) generating wind field time histories stochastically or using OpenFOAM (2020), (ii) incorporating experimental wind tunnel datasets utilizing online resources such as Vortex Winds (Kareem and Kwon, 2017) and the TPU Aerodynamic Database (TPU, 2020), or a user's own local dataset, and (iii) interfaces for querying and ingesting wind speeds and storm surge inundation heights from external applications.…”

Integrated Platform for the Analysis and Design of Tall Buildings for Wind Loads

“…A global analysis framework for the computation of wind-induced effects on structures using virtual tools was later proposed and developed by Kwon et al (2008) [22], Kareem and Kwon (2017) [23]. A sustained effort towards automation is under development in several research groups, including the Structural Dynamics group from the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest (UTCB).…”