A review of approaches to simulate windborne debris dynamics in wind fields

• Published in: Journal of wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics 2021-05, Vol.212, p.104597, Article 104597
• Main Authors: Zhao, Jianxun, Yan, Guirong, Han, Daoru
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Impact loading; Literature review; Wind field; Windborne debris
• ISSN: 0167-6105; 1872-8197
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jweia.2021.104597

Windborne debris (WBD) is one of the significant causes of damage to civil structures and infrastructures and economic loss under extreme winds, such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The impact of WBD with high momentum damages the building envelope and may further threaten the integrity of the entire structure. This study presents a comprehensive review of current literature on interactions between wind fields and WBD, with a focus on approaches to model/simulate dynamics of WBD and their impact loading on civil structures. Depending upon the applied research methodologies, the studies in the existing literature can be primarily categorized into the following three groups: 1) analytical/empirical modeling/numerical approaches, 2) experimental approaches, and 3) statistical approaches. Following brief descriptions of these approaches and their findings in the published studies, knowledge gaps are identified, and research needs are recommended. This article presents a review of current literature on approaches to simulate windborne debris (WBD) dynamics in wind fields.The review categorizes the existing literature into three groups: 1) analytic/empirical modeling/numerical approaches, 2) experimental approaches, and 3) statistical approaches. Knowledge gaps have been identified, and research needs have been recommended.