Incorporation of Thunderstorms and Tornadoes into Wind Load Codes and Standards
Traditionally, wind loading prescribed for structural design has been based on ‘straight and steady’ wind flow that is generated in the wind tunnel and matches the properties of atmospheric boundary layer in some strong wind conditions. However, thunderstorms and tornadoes cause significant damage and produce wind speeds that ‘control’ wind design of structures in some U.S. locations. These wind events display wind loading characteristics that are poorly understood, and therefore are difficult to replicate in the wind tunnel. The importance of these storm types are undeniable and researchers and practitioners are working towards incorporating them in some manner within wind load codes and standards. This presentation discusses the latest efforts in both research and practice towards this end.
Franklin Lombardo, Ph.D. received his Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in 2009 in Wind Science and Engineering studying thunderstorm wind characteristics and subsequent loading on a low-rise building. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Lombardo was a postdoctoral research associate the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where he played a significant role in the investigation of the Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2011 and the creation of updated wind maps for the U.S. loading standard, ASCE 7-16. Work on the Joplin investigation earned himself and his team members the Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 2014. Lombardo has continued his work as an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) since 2015. In his time at UIUC, he has been awarded research projects through both NOAA and NSF for windstorm research and has started the Smart Wind Engineering Research Facility (SWERF) to advance knowledge of windstorms and mitigate their impacts. To put this knowledge into practice, he also serves on professional committees related to windstorms including ASCE 7-22 Wind Load Subcommittee and the newly-formed ASCE Committee on Wind Speed Estimation for Tornadoes.
Description: | DVD with PDF handout Free standard shipping within U.S. Instant Video with PDF handout |
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Speakers | Franklin Lombardo, Ph.D. |
Duration | 98 mins |