UK Wind Engineering Society

About Us

Aim

Our aim is to promote cooperation in the advancement and application of knowledge in all aspects of wind engineering. We:

Organise conferences and regular technical meetings in the UK.

Publish a quarterly newsletter.

Act as a representative body for wind engineering in the UK.

What is Wind Engineering?

Wind Engineering is a wide ranging multi-disciplinary subject that has developed over the last few decades, and is concerned with the effects of wind on the natural and built environment. These effects can be both catastrophic, leading to the failure of major buildings or other structures, or can lead to discomfort and disruption.

History

A forum for the discussion of matters related to wind engineering has existed in the UK for many years, with informal meetings being held since 1963 at the National Physical Laboratory, the Building Research Establishment and elsewhere. In the late eighties it became apparent that there was a need to formalise these activities and a number of likeminded research workers, academics and colleagues from industry formed the Wind Engineering Society (WES). The Society was formally inaugurated in September 1990, and in May 1991 it became an Specialist Knowledge Society of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Affiliations

The Wind Engineering Society (WES) is an Specialist Knowledge Society of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

The WES is the UK national delegate to the International and European Associations for Wind Engineering. The International Association for Wind Engineering (IAWE) coordinates a series of conferences on Wind Engineering and related topics. The International Conference on Wind Engineering (ICWE) is held on a four year cycle. Also on a four year cycle, but two years apart from the International Conference, are the three regional conferences:

European and African Conference on Wind Engineering (EACWE).
Asia Pacific Conference on Wind Engineering (APCWE).
Americas Conference on Wind Engineering (ACWE).

The IAWE also coordinates the following more specialised conferences:

International Colloquium on Bluff-Body Aerodynamics and its Applications (BBAA).
International Symposium on Computational Wind Engineering (CWE).

Scope

The WES aims to cover all aspects of study relevant to Wind Engineering. This includes, amongst others:

The structure of boundary layer winds.
Classification, identification and description of severe storms.
Wind loads on buildings and structures.
Wind effects in urban areas including building climatology.
Transportation, entrainment and deposition of pollutants and particulate matter.
Full scale measurements.
Physical and numerical modelling methods.
Wind energy.
Vehicle aerodynamics, including train and ship stability problems.
Tunnel airflow problems.
Ventilation of buildings.

Objectives

In short, the objectives of the Society are to promote cooperation in the advancement and application of knowledge in all aspects of wind engineering. It aims to attract researchers, engineers, architects and others engaged in the design and operation of structures, vehicles or crops subject to wind forces; or concerned with pollution dispersion and other environmental effects influenced by the wind; or concerned with other problems such as ventilation where the same knowledge is strongly relevant.

Specifically, these general aspirations require WES to:

Stimulate research into the field of wind engineering.
Provide a means of communication for the exchange of information among research workers and practitioners.
Act as a focus to identify research, development and application needs in wind engineering.
Promote wind engineering methods and good practice in industry.
Offer advice on wind engineering to interested parties related to both specific problems and long term research objectives.
Act as a representative body in matters relating to the welfare of wind engineering in the UK and such other countries that request representation through membership of the Society.
Act as a representative for the wind engineering community in the UK and such other countries that request representation through membership of the Society in relation to the International Association of Wind Engineering and other international bodies.
In furtherance of the foregoing objectives, but not further or otherwise, to collaborate with other organisations in the pursuit of any object or objects in common.

WES Activities

Technical meetings: are held regularly through the year, usually at the ICE in London.
The Scruton Lecture: is the Society′s flagship event held every two years. It is named after Christopher Scruton, a pioneer of Wind Engineering in the UK, and is presented by an invited speaker of international standing.
The UK conference on Wind Engineering: is also held on a biennial basis and provides an active forum for the presentation of the latest research and case studies from industry.

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