High-Fidelity Tornado Simulations
This is a prediction of an EF-2 tornado approaching Building B described in this STRUCTURE Magazine article . This is an approximate model representing the June 13, 2018, Wilkes Barr Pennsylvania tornado. The tornado caused an estimated $18,000,000 in damages.
In this animation, the grey surface indicates the Q-criterion, a parameter that highlights vorticity. Here, it shows the tornado and wake forming around the building.
In the context of the simulations, we can also take the perspective of the aft-end of Building B. Here, the camera is moving at the same speed of the tornado. The walls are all colored by pressure to indicate local loads on the building. These indicate a complex aerodynamic loading scenario.
This work is to be published in:
“WILKES-BARRE TORNADO MASONRY DAMAGE AND MODELLING,” STRUCTURE Magazine
By Heather A. Sustersic, P.E., Michael Kinzel, Ph.D., David Malyszek