Techno Press
Techno Press

Wind and Structures
  Volume 42, Number 3, March 2026 , pages 389-408
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/was.2026.42.3.389
 


Hurricane wind pressures on building components from wind tunnel, field measurements, and CFD
Jian Zhang, Chelakara S. Subramanian, Jean-Paul Pinelli, Steven Lazarus, Hadley Besing, Diego Robles Cortes

 
Abstract
     This study compares pressure distributions on non-structural components (doors, windows, soffits, and fascia), due to hurricane winds from Wall of Wind (WoW) facility tests, field measurements on a residential house in Satellite Beach, Florida, during Hurricane Nicole (2022), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. WoW testing was on a full-scale single-story building, equipped with wireless pressure sensors and Scanivalve patches. Wind loads were measured in the field using the same sensor system. The CFD simulations reproduced wind tunnel flow conditions. Measured pressure coefficients (𝐶𝑝) on the doors and windows (with and without shutters), soffits, and fascia are compared against 𝐶𝑝 values under ASCE 7-22 provisions. Results indicate that the 𝐶𝑝 from field measurements is localized and strongly dependent on wind direction in urban surroundings. Aluminium storm shutters reduce positive 𝐶𝑝 values on doors and windows at some angles but do not affect negative values. Soffits exhibit the highest 𝐶𝑝 values at their edges, while fascia experience lower 𝐶𝑝 values in comparison. The strongest suction forces occur under the roof
 
Key Words
    ASCE 7-22; CFD; components and cladding; field measurement; pressure sensor; wall-of-wind; wireless sensor network system
 
Address
Jian Zhang:Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA

Chelakara S. Subramanian:Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA

Jean-Paul Pinelli:Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA

Steven Lazarus:Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA

Hadley Besing:Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA

Diego Robles Cortes:Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology,
150W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
 

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