When to choose CFD for a pedestrian-level wind study

RWDI wind engineers outline when a CFD wind study using Orbital Stack is ideal for early stage building designs.

After five decades of producing climate studies on buildings and structures, the microclimate team at RWDI has the data and expertise needed to know which tool is best for conducting wind studies. 

In a recent post, 5 times when choosing CFD for Pedestrian Level Wind Comfort Analysis can make your life easier, RWDI wind engineers outline when it makes sense to use CFD over a physical wind tunnel study. 

We’d take this list one step further and argue the same five criteria are the ideal circumstances for using Orbital Stack on your next project. Here is a quick summary of the five points:

Early design stage

There is no reason why early design shouldn’t be really early. Earlier is the advantage you need when it comes to competition, concept and feasibility. At a price that won’t break the project budget, and turnaround measured in hours, not weeks, Orbital Stack allows you to be as agile with your analysis as you are with your design thinking. By incorporating rapid climate analysis from the very start, you have the power to confirm if the ideas that are integral to the vision, avoiding difficult changes later. 

Outdoor space matters

More and more, the outdoor space around a building matters as much as the indoor. Orbital Stack assesses proposed designs for wind, solar and thermal impacts to confirm the ideal placement of terraces, decks, parks, and pool areas for optimum user comfort and maximum year-round usability. 

Design comparison

Advanced digital simulation allows designers to compare early designs and consider different features. With a better understanding of wind and climate impacts early on, designers can test different approaches to optimize their final design choice.

Better visuals

Nothing illustrates wind patterns better than Orbital Stack’s 3D visualizer. Designers and end clients alike, regularly enthuse about its ability to “bring wind to life” with its high-resolution graphics. Better visuals lead to better proposals. 

Municipal regulations

More cities are requiring CFD wind studies for project submissions and approvals. Orbital Stack can help designers gain early insight into how well they meet certain zoning requirements, avoiding lengthy rounds of mitigation design later.

Interested in the full article? Read it on the RWDI blog.