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The article deals with the numerical analysis of the wind pressure distribution on a group of two high-rise buildings of different shape for different wind directions. The first building has the shape of a circular cylinder and the second was created by a combination of semicircles and a longitudinal member. The floor plan of the second building was similar to the letter S. The simulations were realized as 3D steady RANS. CFD results were compared with experimental measurements in the wind tunnel of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. The results were processed using statistical methods such as correlation coefficient, fractional bias and fraction of data within a factor of 1.3, which determined the most suitable CFD model. The purpose of the present article was to verify the distribution of the external pressure coefficient on scale models at a scale of 1:350, which are located in the Atmospheric Surface Layer (ASL). In numerical modeling, the most important thing was to ensure similarity with the flow in the experimental Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) and with the flow around the models. SST k–ω was evaluated as the most suitable turbulent model for the given type of problem. Turbulent models had a decisive influence on the overall distribution of external wind pressures on objects. The results showed that the most suitable orientation of the objects in terms of the external wind pressure coefficient is 0°, when the cylinder produced a shielding effect, with min mean cpe = −0.786. The most unfavorable wind effects were shown by the wind direction of 90° and 135° with the value min mean cpe = −1.361. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In seismically active areas, knowledge of the actual behavior of bridges under seismic load is extremely important, as they are crucial elements of the transport infrastructure. To assess their seismic resistance, it is necessary to know the key indicators of their seismic response. Bridges built before the adoption of standards for seismic detailing may still contain structural reserves due to the properties of the used materials and construction approach. For example, smooth reinforcement which is found in older bridges due to the material properties, detailing principles, and lower bond strength compared to ribbed reinforcement, allows for greater deformations. In bridges, columns are vital elements employed in the dissipation of seismic energy. Their cross-sections often deviate from the regular square, rectangular, or round cross-sections, which are typically found in building. Based on the behavior of the columns in the vicinity of potential plastic joints, we can determine their deformability. This paper presents an experimental study of seismic resistance indicators around a potential plastic joint for a column with an atypical cross-section, without seismic details and with smooth reinforcement. The experimental results are compared with the numerical and analytical, but also with the experimental results on samples with ribbed reinforcement. Conclusions are made about the behavior of such column elements and their seismic resistance indicators, allowing for the application of an analytical or numerical method with realistic material and element properties and derivation of correction factors due to the effect of the smooth-reinforcement slippage from the anchorage area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]