Aerodynamic Testing

This chapter discusses similarity requirements and describes aerodynamic testing facilities used for civil engineering purposes. It considers the dependence of the aerodynamic response of wind tunnel models upon Reynolds number and the turbulence characteristics of simulated atmospheric boundary layer flows. The chapter discusses blockage effects and comments on wind effects based on High Frequency Force Balance (HFFB) measurements and on pressure measurements. Basic similarity requirements can be determined from dimensional analysis. In principle, for similarity between prototype and wind tunnel flows to be achieved, the respective Reynolds numbers must be the same. This requirement is referred to as Reynolds number similarity. The HFFB approach uses rigid test models supported at the base by a high‐frequency force balance. The HFFB procedure has two advantages: it is relatively fast and inexpensive, and it is compatible with the presence of architectural details that may render difficult the use of pressure taps in some cases.