The physical simulation of a transient, downburst-like event – How complex does it need to be?

There has been much debate of late regarding the physical simulation of downbursts and, in particular, the need to construct large-scale, relatively expensive facilities in order to obtain wind loading data. For the first time, this paper illustrates that, through the use of partial turbulence simulations and quasi-steady analysis, it is possible to capture the both the loading due to the large-scale features present in downburst flows and the local peaks due to smaller scales of turbulence. These findings have considerable implications for future analysis of transient winds.