BLWT, CFD and HAM modelling vs. the real world: Bridging the gaps with full-scale measurements

The boundary layer wind tunnel (BLWT), which reproduces the increase of wind speed and the propagation of mechanically induced turbulence upwards from the ground, owes its development and validation to measurements of surface pressures, building motions, and other wind effects on full-scale structures. Computational fluid dynamics models are now considered useful adjuncts for some tasks in wind engineering, thanks to encouraging comparisons with BLWT and full-scale results. More recently still, researchers are turning to elaborate computer models to study the transfer of heat, air, and moisture (HAM) through the building envelope. Full-scale experiments to validate HAM computer modelling will be more complex and costly than those for wind alone, but such benchmark data are essential if we are to have confidence in our predictions of the serviceability and durability of building envelopes in the real world.