Remote sensing information-aided numerical simulation of road wind environment in a complex forest area

The wind environment of forest roads differs considerably from that of conventional terrain. To investigate the spatial variation characteristics of wind fields in forest transportation areas with complex terrain, this study proposes a numerical simulation method that combines a forest canopy source term model with remote sensing data. Based on remote sensing classification information, tree parameters such as leaf area index and drag coefficients are assigned to different forest types in the study area, thereby constructing a source term model that reflects the aerodynamic drag of vegetation. Subsequently, digital modeling of the complex terrain and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out to analyze the wind environment along forest roads. Taking the Maor Mountain forest area in Heilongjiang Province as a case study, a comparison with field measurement data indicates that the proposed method is highly reliable and yields accurate simulation results. The approach can more precisely reproduce the characteristics of near-surface wind fields under canopy-induced disturbances. This research provides a useful reference for the wind-resistant design of transportation infrastructure, including forest road safety and mountainous bridges.