Computational modelling of a category 5 hurricane loading event on a complex biocomposite canopy structure : an integrated CFD-FEM case study

Often when hurricanes make landfall, they destroy civil and electrical infrastructure, leaving communities without critical resources for lengthy periods of time. As climate change causes hurricanes to increase in frequency and intensity, development in coastal areas must consider hurricane resilience. This research has determined the resilience and robustness of an architecturally unique and geometrically complex structure designed for electrical and civil infrastructural applications when subjected to category 5 (CAT 5) hurricane conditions. A history of hurricanes impacting The Bahamas and how their characteristics can be modeled is briefly reviewed. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to characterize the loads (shear stress and pressure loading) induced by a CAT 5 hurricane on the structure. The CFD software used in this research is OpenFOAM. The mean wind direction of the hurricane relative to the structure which causes the most severe loading was tested and determined. Both steady and unsteady CFD methods were used to identify the magnitude of loading. Both wind and storm surge loading conditions are considered in the analysis. The wind conditions were modelled using the upper limit of possible CAT 5 wind profiles. The storm surge conditions were modelled after the infamous storm surge profile caused by the 2019 tropical cyclone, Hurricane Dorian, as it passed over The Bahamas. The structural response of the structure under the identified loads are evaluated via an uncoupled finite element analysis (FEA) approach. The FEA solver Abaqus was applied to test the complex structure’s robustness and resilience to severe hurricane loading. The material considered in the FEA model was a proprietary composite material specifically designed for this application. The work presented will show that it is possible to design geometrically complex structures using emerging biocomposite materials and accurately model them using computer aided engineering (CAE) to ensure their resiliency to natural disasters. The findings suggest that the modeled structure is robust under CAT 5 hurricane wind loading.