Structural members and units

The services in structural engineering range from environmental simulation (ice, snow and rain simulation) on facades, roof structures and ventilation systems to aerodynamic tests on signal installations, radio masts and conveyor systems to model trials.

The necessity of such investigations will be illustrated by the example of building facades.

High-rise buildings are very efficient from an urban planning perspective but also involve a large number of risks. If the facade of a high-rise building is not sufficiently suitable for winter conditions, this may result in personal injury or damage to property.

Extreme climatic conditions, such as strong winds, snow or ice, may cause small sheets of ice or snow to be released. It is therefore essential for architects and construction firms to obtain detailed information about the effects of weather conditions on the facade of a building. In order not to rely on forecasts alone, these hazard potentials can be investigated and analysed by subjecting exposed facade parts to reproducible tests in a climatic wind tunnel.

It is also important to observe the vibration behaviour of facade parts in windy conditions and to test possible countermeasures for their effectiveness.

Aerosol collectors, which serve to determine various environmental pollutants in the air, provide another example of the necessity of severe environmental tests. In order to be able to detect very low concentrations of pollutant particles, these instruments must sample very large volumes of air. In the process, however, water droplets or snow crystals will get into the collector along with the small particles, which may clog the air intake and cause the filter to become wet.

Aerosol collectors installed in the extreme weather conditions of arctic regions are especially prone to failure as a result of the penetration of ice and snow crystals. Different intake hoods are therefore tested under different weather conditions in a climatic wind tunnel in order to guarantee safe functioning of the aerosol collectors in often remote measurement sites and to optimise instrument design.