A numerical investigation of building damage during the 6 May 2012 Tsukuba tornado using hybrid meteorological model/engineering LES method. Issue 204 (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kawaguchi, Masaharu; Tamura, Tetsuro; Mashiko, Wataru
• Is Part Of: Journal of wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics. Issue 204(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Tornado -- Aerodynamic force -- Wind gust -- Building damage -- Damage estimation; Wind-pressure -- Periodicals; Buildings -- Aerodynamics -- Periodicals; Pression du vent -- Périodiques; Constructions -- Aérodynamique -- Périodiques; Buildings -- Aerodynamics; Wind-pressure; Periodicals
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104254
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-6105

Abstract

Abstract: To validate applicability of the novel hybrid meteorological model/engineering LES method to damage estimation of actual tornado events, simulation is performed focusing on the severely damaged area of the strong tornado on May 6, 2012 in the city of Tsukuba with the realistic tornado structure reproduced in the meteorological model, the actual building distribution, and the topography. The flows over the disaster-affected low-rise residential area show an evident converging character at a height close to the rooftops. Intense strong wind bands are formed by the influence of the buildings. The simulated maximum wind gust is compared with the distribution of actual building damage. It reveals that the hybrid method can reasonably estimate distribution of the building damage over the target area in the tornado event. The track nevertheless exhibits building-scale perturbation that may be attributed to chaotic randomness of the tornado behavior on the complex rough surface. Using the simulated aerodynamic force, simplified case studies on the occurrence and process of damage to two individual buildings is also presented. Highlights: LES of an actual tornado disaster area was performed using the meteorological tornado field and actual residential area model. Converging flow was evident above the roofs, and the high-wind bands were presumably generated and aligned by the buildings. The near-ground 3-s maximum wind gust and 1-s maximum pressure drop in the disaster area were evaluated. It was revealed that this hybrid calculation reproduced comparable results with the actual damage distribution. The significant damage to a wooden house and a reinforced concrete apartment in the track was analyzed by aerodynamic force.