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Solar energy harvesting using photovoltaic (PV) systems has gained popularity in recent years due to its relative ease of use and its cost efficiency compared to the rest of the clean energy sources. However, to further expand the application of PV systems requires making them more desirable than the other competitive energy sources. The improvement of safety and cost efficiency are requisites for further popularization of PV system application. To satisfy these requisites it is necessary to optimally design the system against the environmental conditions. Wind action is one of the main ambient loads affecting the performance of PV systems. This dissertation aims to investigate the effects of wind load on residential scale roof mounted PV panels and their supporting structures as well as evaluating the structural response of the system to the wind-induced vibration. To achieve these goals, several full- and large-scale experimental tests were performed at the Wall of Wind Experimental Facility at Florida International University (FIU). The wind effects on different PV system and roof configurations were investigated in these tests. The results shed light on the most influential parameters affecting the wind pressures acting on the PV panel surface. In addition, the findings are presented in the form of design pressure coefficients for adoption to future building codes and wind standards. The second phase of the physical testing included the investigation of the actual response of the PV system to the wind action. Because of the dynamic properties of the PV panel, it was expected that the wind induced vibration can affect the dynamic response of the system including the acceleration at the panel surface and support reactions at the racking system to roof interface. To test this theory, two different models of the system were developed, one with the real PV panels and the other one with wooden rigid panels. Comparing the results, it was concluded that the dynamic response of the system was not considerably affected by wind-induced fluctuations. Finally, and to better understand the dynamic response of the system, an analytical model was developed using ANSYS and dynamic analysis was carried out using as input the wind induced pressure data acquired from the physical testing. At the first step, the analytical model was verified by comparing the analytical modal frequencies to the experimental natural frequencies obtained from the hammer test. It was shown that the analytical model can well represent the dynamic properties of the actual model. However, once the reaction output was compared to the loadcell data recorded during the wind tunnel test, there was a considerable discrepancy between the results. It was assumed that the deflection of the supporting structure caused this discrepancy. This assumption was verified and it was concluded that the supporting structure can significantly influence the dynamic response of the system.

Estruturas alteadas são fortemente afetadas pelas ações naturais, que são por sinal, as ações de maior complexidade na engenharia estrutural em função do grande número de variáveis envolvidas. O vento é uma destas ações e também uma das mais importantes em condições gerais. Em projeto, a ação do vento é normalmente considerada através das indicações normativas de cada país, que são, em função de sua complexidade, descritas na forma de métodos estático equivalentes, suficientes para maioria dos casos. Este critério não difere ao se tratar de linhas de transmissão, no entanto, grande parte das normas do mundo basearam-se no comportamento das torres autoportantes, mas que vêm sendo igualmente utilizadas em projetos de torres estaiadas. Por este motivo, se propõe a análise estatística de esforços de uma torre estaiada, modelada em conjunto com os demais componentes de uma linha de transmissão, de modo a compará-los aos resultados obtidos pelo método estático equivalente da IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). A hipótese de carregamento estudada é a ação transversal do vento na linha. Na simulação numérica, diversos campos aleatórios de velocidades são gerados, sendo as ações também calculadas pela formulação da norma IEC 60826. Os campos foram gerados por dois diferentes métodos, o método de Deodatis (1996) e método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos baseados no método de superposição de ondas. O espectro de velocidades utilizado neste trabalho é o espectro de Davenport. Apesar de saber da importância de outras fontes de não linearidades, foram consideradas neste trabalho: a não linearidade geométrica dos componentes, computada automaticamente com o uso do método de integração explícito por diferenças finitas centrais, e a não linearidade física dos cabos suspensos. Diferentes parâmetros de amortecimento foram testados para os componentes estruturais. Nos resultados é possível observar que a IEC 60826 mostrou-se suficiente na estimativa de esforços da maioria dos elementos analisados, no entanto, nas barras pertencentes ao mastro da torre verificaram-se valores normativos inferiores aos calculados pelo método numérico. Nestas barras, a diferença chegou a aproximadamente 22% pelo método de Deodatis (1996) e a 12% pelo método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos na configuração de menor amortecimento testada e para o intervalo de confiança de 98%. / High structures are strongly affected by natural loads, which are the most complexity loads in the structural engineering due the large number of variables involved. The wind is one of these actions and one of the most important in general conditions. In design, the action of wind is normally accounted through the country‟s standards indications which, due to its complexity, are usually descripted by equivalent static methods, enough in the most cases. This criterion does not differ for transmission lines, however, the most of standards in the world were based on the self-support towers behavior, but they are also being used for guyed towers design. Therefore, in this study is proposed a statistic analysis of internal forces in the guyed tower elements, modeled together with the other transmission lines components, in order to compare them with the results obtained by equivalent static method of IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). The load hypothesis is the across wind action. In the numerical simulation, several random velocity fields were generated, the actions being calculated by the formulation of IEC 60826 standard. The fields were generated by two different methods, the method of Deodatis (1996) and the method of Riera and Ambrosini (1992), both of them are based in the wave superimposition method. The power wind spectrum (PSD) used in this work is the Davenport‟s spectrum. Although knowing the importance of other nonlinearities, were considered in this work: the geometric non-linearity of all elements, which are automatically computed by explicitly integration method by central finite differences used, and the physic non-linearity of suspended cables. Different damping rates were considered for the structural components. In the results, it is possible to observe that the IEC 60826 was enough in the estimation of internal forces on the majority of elements analyzed, however, on the tower mast bars were verified normative values smaller than those obtained by numerical method. In these bars, the difference among analyses reached 22% by Deodatis (1996) method and 12% by Riera e Ambrosini (1992) method, both of them considering the lower tested damping configuration and the 98% confidence interval.

In this thesis, two dimensional, incompressible, viscous flow past bluff bodies and a bridge section, in which strong vortex shedding and unsteady attribute of flow are generally found, is simulated by means of random vortex method. The algorithm and method are described in detail. The validation and applicability of the developed numerical implementation to general wind engineering problems is illustrated by solving a number of classical problems, such as flow past circular and square cylinders. An application of the numerical implementation in the area of computational wind engineering is performed by analyzing a bridge deck section. Moreover, all results are compared with experimental and numerical studies in literature.

This thesis presents a study of the wind load forces and their influence on the response of structures. The study is based on the capacity of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition method (POD) to identify and extract organized patterns that are hidden or embedded inside a complex field. Technically this complex field is defined as a multi-variate random process, which in wind engineering is represented by unsteady pressure signals recorded on multiple points of the surface of a structure. The POD method thus transforms the multi-variate random pressure field into a sequence of load shapes that are uncorrelated with each other. The effect of each uncorrelated load shape on the structural response is relatively easy to evaluate and the individual contributions can be added linearly afterwards. Additionally, since each uncorrelated load shape is associated with a percentage of the total energy involved in the loading process, it is possible to neglect those load shapes with low energy content. Furthermore, the load shapes obtained with the POD often reveal physical flow structures, like vortex shedding, oscillations of shear layers, etc. This later property can be used in conjunction with classical results in fluid mechanics to theorize about the physical nature of different flow mechanics and their interactions. The POD method is well suited to be used in conjunction with the classical modal analysis, not only to calculate the structural response for a given pressure field but to observe the details of the wind-structure interaction. A detailed and complete application is presented here but the methodology is very general since it can be applied to any recorded pressure field and for any type of structure.

This thesis presents a study of the wind load forces and their influence on the response of structures. The study is based on the capacity of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition method (POD) to identify and extract organized patterns that are hidden or embedded inside a complex field. Technically this complex field is defined as a multi-variate random process, which in wind engineering is represented by unsteady pressure signals recorded on multiple points of the surface of a structure. The POD method thus transforms the multi-variate random pressure field into a sequence of load shapes that are uncorrelated with each other. The effect of each uncorrelated load shape on the structural response is relatively easy to evaluate and the individual contributions can be added linearly afterwards. Additionally, since each uncorrelated load shape is associated with a percentage of the total energy involved in the loading process, it is possible to neglect those load shapes with low energy content. Furthermore, the load shapes obtained with the POD often reveal physical flow structures, like vortex shedding, oscillations of shear layers, etc. This later property can be used in conjunction with classical results in fluid mechanics to theorize about the physical nature of different flow mechanics and their interactions. The POD method is well suited to be used in conjunction with the classical modal analysis, not only to calculate the structural response for a given pressure field but to observe the details of the wind-structure interaction. A detailed and complete application is presented here but the methodology is very general since it can be applied to any recorded pressure field and for any type of structure.

This thesis presents a study of the wind load forces and their influence on the response of structures. The study is based on the capacity of the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition method (POD) to identify and extract organized patterns that are hidden or embedded inside a complex field. Technically this complex field is defined as a multi-variate random process, which in wind engineering is represented by unsteady pressure signals recorded on multiple points of the surface of a structure. The POD method thus transforms the multi-variate random pressure field into a sequence of load shapes that are uncorrelated with each other. The effect of each uncorrelated load shape on the structural response is relatively easy to evaluate and the individual contributions can be added linearly afterwards. Additionally, since each uncorrelated load shape is associated with a percentage of the total energy involved in the loading process, it is possible to neglect those load shapes with low energy content. Furthermore, the load shapes obtained with the POD often reveal physical flow structures, like vortex shedding, oscillations of shear layers, etc. This later property can be used in conjunction with classical results in fluid mechanics to theorize about the physical nature of different flow mechanics and their interactions. The POD method is well suited to be used in conjunction with the classical modal analysis, not only to calculate the structural response for a given pressure field but to observe the details of the wind-structure interaction. A detailed and complete application is presented here but the methodology is very general since it can be applied to any recorded pressure field and for any type of structure.

Traditional Balinese architecture is commonly related to culture and traditional reasoning. When subjected to several modem problems such as energy demand, pollution, and impact of urbanisation and tourism, traditional architecture becomes less attractive since the definitions behind traditional reasoning are not clear and can be interpreted in different ways. To understand this feature, the study of traditional Balinese architecture starts by using several key parameters such as wind engineering and heat transfer, as presented and used in several countries. The flow patterns around a cubic building have been studied by many researchers. The velocity profile at the model position and the local surface roughness are specific to each building model and cannot be estimated from general tests of a standard building shape, therefore specific velocity profiles and conditions are used in this particular study. The air flow around a cluster of traditional Balinese buildings is extremely complicated and difficult to determine by modelling an isolated building (via symmetric conditions) since the buildings are linked to each other. Full scale models of traditional buildings have been investigated by using CFD to predict the above aspects. Simulations using this method can be done more quickly and less expensively than with wind tunnel experiments, and are capable of delivering more detailed and comprehensive information about the flow structure. Two-dimensional models of traditional Balinese building arrangements are simulated by using a commercial code Fidap based on the finite element method to assess the effects of type of roof, fence and surface roughness. Three-dimensional models are simulated by using a commercial code CFX based on the finite volume method to verify some traditional definitions. A standard к-ε model is adopted because it needs less computational power and has achieved notable successes in calculating a wide variety of thin shear layer and recirculating flows without the need of adjustment of the model constants, but with the imposition of boundary conditions to reduce the over-prediction near windward edges. Adopting lower values of к and ε combined with multi-blocks is shown to reduce this over-estimation. For a cubic building, the results can be compared with several other turbulence models. It appears that traditional Balinese architecture has a strong and significant correlation with several engineering fields, therefore traditional communities can develop by considering the Tri Hita Karana concept in order to improve thermal comfort and reduce cooling loads, with corresponding energy savings.

Estruturas alteadas são fortemente afetadas pelas ações naturais, que são por sinal, as ações de maior complexidade na engenharia estrutural em função do grande número de variáveis envolvidas. O vento é uma destas ações e também uma das mais importantes em condições gerais. Em projeto, a ação do vento é normalmente considerada através das indicações normativas de cada país, que são, em função de sua complexidade, descritas na forma de métodos estático equivalentes, suficientes para maioria dos casos. Este critério não difere ao se tratar de linhas de transmissão, no entanto, grande parte das normas do mundo basearam-se no comportamento das torres autoportantes, mas que vêm sendo igualmente utilizadas em projetos de torres estaiadas. Por este motivo, se propõe a análise estatística de esforços de uma torre estaiada, modelada em conjunto com os demais componentes de uma linha de transmissão, de modo a compará-los aos resultados obtidos pelo método estático equivalente da IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). A hipótese de carregamento estudada é a ação transversal do vento na linha. Na simulação numérica, diversos campos aleatórios de velocidades são gerados, sendo as ações também calculadas pela formulação da norma IEC 60826. Os campos foram gerados por dois diferentes métodos, o método de Deodatis (1996) e método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos baseados no método de superposição de ondas. O espectro de velocidades utilizado neste trabalho é o espectro de Davenport. Apesar de saber da importância de outras fontes de não linearidades, foram consideradas neste trabalho: a não linearidade geométrica dos componentes, computada automaticamente com o uso do método de integração explícito por diferenças finitas centrais, e a não linearidade física dos cabos suspensos. Diferentes parâmetros de amortecimento foram testados para os componentes estruturais. Nos resultados é possível observar que a IEC 60826 mostrou-se suficiente na estimativa de esforços da maioria dos elementos analisados, no entanto, nas barras pertencentes ao mastro da torre verificaram-se valores normativos inferiores aos calculados pelo método numérico. Nestas barras, a diferença chegou a aproximadamente 22% pelo método de Deodatis (1996) e a 12% pelo método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos na configuração de menor amortecimento testada e para o intervalo de confiança de 98%. / High structures are strongly affected by natural loads, which are the most complexity loads in the structural engineering due the large number of variables involved. The wind is one of these actions and one of the most important in general conditions. In design, the action of wind is normally accounted through the country‟s standards indications which, due to its complexity, are usually descripted by equivalent static methods, enough in the most cases. This criterion does not differ for transmission lines, however, the most of standards in the world were based on the self-support towers behavior, but they are also being used for guyed towers design. Therefore, in this study is proposed a statistic analysis of internal forces in the guyed tower elements, modeled together with the other transmission lines components, in order to compare them with the results obtained by equivalent static method of IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). The load hypothesis is the across wind action. In the numerical simulation, several random velocity fields were generated, the actions being calculated by the formulation of IEC 60826 standard. The fields were generated by two different methods, the method of Deodatis (1996) and the method of Riera and Ambrosini (1992), both of them are based in the wave superimposition method. The power wind spectrum (PSD) used in this work is the Davenport‟s spectrum. Although knowing the importance of other nonlinearities, were considered in this work: the geometric non-linearity of all elements, which are automatically computed by explicitly integration method by central finite differences used, and the physic non-linearity of suspended cables. Different damping rates were considered for the structural components. In the results, it is possible to observe that the IEC 60826 was enough in the estimation of internal forces on the majority of elements analyzed, however, on the tower mast bars were verified normative values smaller than those obtained by numerical method. In these bars, the difference among analyses reached 22% by Deodatis (1996) method and 12% by Riera e Ambrosini (1992) method, both of them considering the lower tested damping configuration and the 98% confidence interval.

Estruturas alteadas são fortemente afetadas pelas ações naturais, que são por sinal, as ações de maior complexidade na engenharia estrutural em função do grande número de variáveis envolvidas. O vento é uma destas ações e também uma das mais importantes em condições gerais. Em projeto, a ação do vento é normalmente considerada através das indicações normativas de cada país, que são, em função de sua complexidade, descritas na forma de métodos estático equivalentes, suficientes para maioria dos casos. Este critério não difere ao se tratar de linhas de transmissão, no entanto, grande parte das normas do mundo basearam-se no comportamento das torres autoportantes, mas que vêm sendo igualmente utilizadas em projetos de torres estaiadas. Por este motivo, se propõe a análise estatística de esforços de uma torre estaiada, modelada em conjunto com os demais componentes de uma linha de transmissão, de modo a compará-los aos resultados obtidos pelo método estático equivalente da IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). A hipótese de carregamento estudada é a ação transversal do vento na linha. Na simulação numérica, diversos campos aleatórios de velocidades são gerados, sendo as ações também calculadas pela formulação da norma IEC 60826. Os campos foram gerados por dois diferentes métodos, o método de Deodatis (1996) e método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos baseados no método de superposição de ondas. O espectro de velocidades utilizado neste trabalho é o espectro de Davenport. Apesar de saber da importância de outras fontes de não linearidades, foram consideradas neste trabalho: a não linearidade geométrica dos componentes, computada automaticamente com o uso do método de integração explícito por diferenças finitas centrais, e a não linearidade física dos cabos suspensos. Diferentes parâmetros de amortecimento foram testados para os componentes estruturais. Nos resultados é possível observar que a IEC 60826 mostrou-se suficiente na estimativa de esforços da maioria dos elementos analisados, no entanto, nas barras pertencentes ao mastro da torre verificaram-se valores normativos inferiores aos calculados pelo método numérico. Nestas barras, a diferença chegou a aproximadamente 22% pelo método de Deodatis (1996) e a 12% pelo método de Riera e Ambrosini (1992), ambos na configuração de menor amortecimento testada e para o intervalo de confiança de 98%. / High structures are strongly affected by natural loads, which are the most complexity loads in the structural engineering due the large number of variables involved. The wind is one of these actions and one of the most important in general conditions. In design, the action of wind is normally accounted through the country‟s standards indications which, due to its complexity, are usually descripted by equivalent static methods, enough in the most cases. This criterion does not differ for transmission lines, however, the most of standards in the world were based on the self-support towers behavior, but they are also being used for guyed towers design. Therefore, in this study is proposed a statistic analysis of internal forces in the guyed tower elements, modeled together with the other transmission lines components, in order to compare them with the results obtained by equivalent static method of IEC 60826 (IEC 2003). The load hypothesis is the across wind action. In the numerical simulation, several random velocity fields were generated, the actions being calculated by the formulation of IEC 60826 standard. The fields were generated by two different methods, the method of Deodatis (1996) and the method of Riera and Ambrosini (1992), both of them are based in the wave superimposition method. The power wind spectrum (PSD) used in this work is the Davenport‟s spectrum. Although knowing the importance of other nonlinearities, were considered in this work: the geometric non-linearity of all elements, which are automatically computed by explicitly integration method by central finite differences used, and the physic non-linearity of suspended cables. Different damping rates were considered for the structural components. In the results, it is possible to observe that the IEC 60826 was enough in the estimation of internal forces on the majority of elements analyzed, however, on the tower mast bars were verified normative values smaller than those obtained by numerical method. In these bars, the difference among analyses reached 22% by Deodatis (1996) method and 12% by Riera e Ambrosini (1992) method, both of them considering the lower tested damping configuration and the 98% confidence interval.