The goal of this Fellowship proposal is to provide PhD graduate student Ms. Diana Abdelkerim the opportunity to extend her research on wind resilience of slender structures. The project aims to address the urgent need for achieving more resilient communities and economies and contributing to the scientific literature on wind effects on slender structures. Despite the significant importance of slender structures in our built environment, current standards provide inaccurate estimates on their wind-induced responses that often lead to structural damage during wind events. The proposed fellowship includes research activities to allow Ms. Abdelkerim to undertake large-scale tests using the Wall of Wind facility to accurately estimate wind responses, particularly at high Reynolds numbers. The project will encompass testing and validation through comparison with field data provided by an international collaborator. This could serve as the benchmark basis for assessing the adequacy of existing codes/standards to accurately estimate wind responses. The anticipated outcomes pertain to advancing knowledge and developing guidelines for wind design of the vulnerable regime of slender structures, and benefiting the state of Florida and the nation through improved design guidelines.
Dr. Arindam Gan Chowdhury, Florida International University
Dr. Amal Elawady, Florida International University
Dr. Maria Pia Repetto, University of Genoa, Italy
