20 story tower
4 story city council wing
100 foot diameter rotunda
The Civic Center project consists of a 20-story tower, a 4-story city council wing and a 100 foot diameter rotunda over one level of subterranean parking.
The striking 180 ft. tall brise soleil, the tension grid system used for the unique rotunda dome glazing, and the open plaza demanded careful consideration of wind. Our firm was retained to perform wind engineering studies for cladding pressures, building frame pressures, and pedestrian comfort.
We undertook a comprehensive statistical analysis of the wind speed and direction to establish the average daily wind condition at the site. A scale model of the project was built and tested in a
wind tunnel with the surrounding structures to quantify the wind flow pattern. Where unacceptable wind conditions were found to occur, mitigating measures were recommended. Realistic wind cladding pressures helped optimize the exterior cladding and glazing system design.
