A novel Fluid-Structure Interaction modelling and optimisation of roofing designs of buildings for typhoon resilience

Abstract

Stronger typhoons have been more frequent in the Western Pacific region. Typhoon Haiyan caused widespread loss of life and destruction to properties when in made landfall in the Philippines in 2013. An estimated 1.1 million homes were damaged or destroyed in the aftermath. Damage surveys show extensive roofing damage evident in most detached structures attributed to strong winds. Clearly, there is a need to evaluate the current roofing designs and its structural integrity for it to properly respond to extreme environmental events in the future. Using a novel Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) approach, this study evaluated a single detached gabled building made of timber which is common in the Philippines. The building was subjected to typhoon strength winds in an urban environment using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) flow simulation was conducted to predict the pressure distribution around the structure. A structural model of the roofing support was then developed, and the structural analysis performed using FSI to predict failure in the sheathing and the supports. The results of the study show the structural weaknesses in the current design considering the wind angle, structural frame and materials.