School of Civil Engineering

Wind engineering research

Wind Research Laboratory (WiRL) is comprised of atmospheric scientists and engineers that conduct specialised, interdisciplinary research in the following areas:

  • Catastrophe loss modelling
  • Post-storm damage assessments
  • Severe convective thunderstorms (e.g. downbursts and tornadoes)
  • Tropical cyclones
  • Wind engineering
  • Wind tunnel research
  • Bluff body (building) aerodynamics

Current projects

  1. Characterising the hazard, structure, and impacts of severe convective wind storms
  2. Storm Reports
  3. Using realistic disaster scenario analysis to understand natural hazard impacts and emergency management requirements
  1. Numerical simulation of the progressive collapse of transmission line systems
  2. Tropical Cyclone Wind Field Characterisation
  3. Unsteady bluff body aerodynamics

6. Unsteady bluff body aerodynamics

Unsteady bluff body aerodynamics
Wind loads on bluff bodies

This project seeks to understand the fundamental nature of wind loads on bluff bodies subject to highly non-stationary wind fields. In concept this represents the wind loading scenario that would occur during a severe thunderstorm outflow or tornado. Research is being undertaken on two fronts, 1) experimentally in the School’s Unsteady Wind Tunnel, and 2) observationally through analysis of full scale measurements of wind loads on buildings during these types of events. Initial work on this project has been funded through an internal UQ grant and is being undertaken in collaboration with researchers from the University of Illinois.