As residents on the northern Gulf Coast brace for quickly strengthening Hurricane Isaias (a Category 3 storm as of Friday afternoon), many are likely eyeing their roofs and walls with nervous anticipation. The Congressional Budget Office estimates hurricane force winds and storm-related flooding collectively cost households in the United States some $34 billion every year. And while rounded corners, sloped walls and reinforced construction can help mitigate some wind damage, these additions are often expensive or impractical for developers looking to cut costs. Engineers at Florida A&M University and Florida State University think they’ve found a resourceful alternative, and it involves embracing the ocean’s own wavy aesthetic.
For a study recently published in the journal Engineering Structures, the team built 3D-printed models of several low-rise buildings with wave shaped walls and roofs and tested them in a wind tunnel. The designs with the deepest waves, (in this case 10 percent of the building’s overall height) cut peak wind pressure near roof and wall corner by up to 60 percent. Those corners and edges are where damaging forces typically concentrate. Surprisingly simple designs like these could become increasingly attractive to develop in the coming years, as more and more communities brace themselves to endure stronger and more frequently occurring storms.
Read Full Article: https://www.popsci.com/technology/wave-shaped-buildings-hurricane-winds/
