Wind-tunnel development and trends in applications to civil engineering

A review is presented on wind tunnels capable of simulating natural winds, the boundary-layer wind tunnel (BLWT), and trends in their extensive use in civil-engineering practice. BLWTs and data-acquisition systems, as they evolved to meet needs in civil engineering, are described. Advancements are highlighted for the types of wind-load information now available to structural engineer's and architects by BLWT tests using the advanced data-acquisition systems-the high-frequency base balance (H-FBB) and the synchronous multi-pressure sensing system (SM-PSS). Trends in applications of BLWT tests to determine wind effects on structures and to investigate wind-related environmental problems are described. Technical details of the BLWT, the H-FBB, the SM-PSS, and their proper use are available in references cited and are not restated in this review. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.