ANSYS > Case Studies > Flow Modeling Proves Hurricane Damage Caused by Wind, Not Water

Flow Modeling Proves Hurricane Damage Caused by Wind, Not Water

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Storage Services

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Cement

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Structural Health Monitoring

About The Customer

TRC Companies, Inc. is a publicly traded environmental and engineering consulting firm that provides integrated services to the environmental, energy, infrastructure, and real estate markets. The company is a leading provider of technical, financial, risk management, and construction services to commercial and government customers across the country. In this case, TRC was representing the owners of a steel storage building that was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The challenge was to prove that the damage was caused by wind, not water, to ensure the insurance claim was paid.

The Challenge

A steel storage building located on a canal between downtown New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The insurance company claimed that the damage, where the walls were pushed outward in two areas, was water-related. As the insurance only covered wind damage, the claim was denied. TRC Companies, Inc., representing the owners of the storage building, faced the challenge of proving that the damage was caused by wind, not water. The traditional approach of applying equations relating force and wind speed would not have included information about the building shape or accounted for the air flowing through open doors inside the building. TRC determined that a more accurate simulation of the pressure forces on the building would provide more persuasive evidence that the damage was wind-related.

The Solution

TRC used ANSYS Fluent software to build a model of the storage building along with two upwind structures that might have affected wind and turbulence fields. They used wind speeds and directions predicted by mesoscale meteorological model MM5 simulations of Katrina, corroborated by observations from National Hurricane Center reconnaissance devices, to set the inlet boundary conditions. They then simulated wind-induced net total pressures on all outside walls of the storage building. Using calculations from structural engineers, they calculated the forces needed to cause damage to the storage building’s steel walls. The predicted pressures on the building walls indicated two locations with outward forces strong enough to cause the observed damage. These two locations closely agreed with the actual damage.

Operational Impact

The use of ANSYS Fluent software allowed TRC to build a detailed and accurate model of the storage building and the surrounding structures. This model, combined with wind speed and direction data, enabled them to simulate the wind-induced pressures on the building. The results of this simulation provided compelling evidence that the damage to the building was caused by wind, not water. This not only resulted in the successful settlement of the case against the insurance company but also demonstrated the effectiveness of using advanced simulation software in such cases. The success of this case has potential implications for similar cases in the future, where accurate modeling can be used to determine the cause of damage.

Quantitative Benefit

The model accurately predicted two locations with outward forces strong enough to cause the observed damage.
The predicted locations closely agreed with the actual damage, providing strong evidence for the case.
The case against the insurance company was successfully settled, ensuring the claim was paid.