Adam Robertson, Roger Hoxey and Andrew Quinn.
Wind, structural and environmental R&D services continue to be available through Silsoe~Birmingham Research, a new venture with the University of Birmingham.
Unique expertise, facilities and instrumentation are available for determining the effects of wind on buildings and structures. Topics covered include wind loading, structural response monitoring, ventilation, vehicle aerodynamics, climate-change impact, wind energy, wind surveys, pollutant emissions and dispersion, design-code development., and effects of wind on trees and crops.
Our internationally renowned full-scale test site at Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedford - features the Silsoe Structures Building
and the ‘6m rotating cube’ structure. The wind characteristics for the site have been defined from detailed measurements
up to 100m above ground.
Our specialisms include:
- over 30 years’ experience on wind loading research conducted primarily at full-scale;
- our own dedicated full-scale test site and test buildings, a suite of 20 ultrasonic anemometers, banks of pressure transducers and structural-monitoring sensors, and dedicated software for automated data-logging;
- a selection of wind tunnels including the large-scale Atmospheric Flow Laboratory, a Thunderstorm Generator, a fan-test-rig and CFD expertise;
- design code development for relevant Standards (British, European, ISO).
Simultaneous monitoring of wind gusts at eight sensitive sites along the new West Coast Mainline rail route.
Customers include:
Atkins, Arup, BRE, Building Product Design Ltd, Defra, EPSRC, Flint & Neill Partnership, Highways Agency, Railway Safety and Standards Board.
Example projects:
Simulations of thunderstorm downbursts and implications for aircraft and wind damage to structures - conducted
in our unique Atmospheric Flow Laboratory.
Quantification of wind-driven natural ventilation of commercial multi-span glasshouses using large-scale
models in our unique Atmospheric Flow Laboratory.
Examining vehicle buffeting of a traffic signal mast and the implications for fatigue
design; And studies at higher Reynolds numbers of the wind-induced fatigue loading of
lighting columns.
The former SRI staff who remain based at Silsoe are Adam Robertson and Roger Hoxey. Andrew Quinn is now based at Birmingham University (Department of Civil Engineering) where he teams-up with Chris Baker and Mark Sterling who complete the new group.
For further information please visit the University of Birmingham web site, or contact us using the form below: