Purpose

According to the definition given by Jack E. Cermak (1975), “Wind engineering is best defined as the rational treatment of the interactions between wind in the atmospheric boundary layer and man and his works on the surface of earth”. It is a multi-disciplinary matter concerning multifold topics, among which:

Meteorology
Meteorological forecasts
Micrometeorology
Turbulence theory
Wind structure
Wind climate
Numerical and physical modeling of atmospheric flow fields
Bluf-body aerodynamics
Vehicle aerodynamics
Wind tunnels
Wind tunnel tests
Full-scale measurements
Computational fluid dynamics
Wind loads on buildings and structures
Windborne debris
Glass and cladding behaviour
Wind-driven rain and permeable facades
Wind effects on transportation
Wind turbines
Wind energy production
Atmospheric dispersion of pollutants
Forest fire propagation
Wind erosion
Sand and snow-drift
Windbreaks
Urban planning
Architectural aerodynamics
Bioclimatic engineering
Pedestrian wind environment
Natural ventilation
Wind actions and effects on long-span bridges
Wind actions and effects on tall buildings
Wind actions and effects on wind-sensitive structures
Static and dynamic wind effects
Wind-structure interaction, aeroelastic and chaotic phenomena
Mitigation of wind-induced vibrations
Reliability and risk under wind loading
Vulnerability of structures under wind loads
Wind storm disaster assessment and reduction
Insurance and re-insurance policies
Wind codes and standards

Cermak, J.E. (1975). Applications of fluid mechanics to wind engineering - A Freeman Scholar Lecture. J. Fluids Engng., ASME, March, 9-38.