Research

Services

Climate data analysis is a crucial step to be taken before developing projects for urban planning, buildings or engineering works. These input data impact a project's sizing, usability and energy performance. From climate risks at the scale of mainland France and the French overseas departments and territories (DROM-COM), to the characterization of microclimates at the scale of a neighborhood, street or square, the CSTB offers research and expertise services by conducting on-site measurements and carrying out wind tunnel tests and digital simulations.

Expertise

  • Characterization of the meteorological conditions of the site: wind, sun radiation, temperature, precipitation, etc.
  • Statistical analysis and mapping of the site's extreme weather events: extreme wind speed, simultaneous rain and wind, snow and frost load, maximum temperature, etc.
  • Analysis of the risks in connection with extreme weather conditions: temperature (heat waves and extreme cold), wind (storms and tornadoes) and precipitation (flooding).
  • Analysis of a site's wind potential
  • Characterization of pedestrian comfort in urban environments (thermal and wind comfort)
  • Characterization of the performance of green features, such as vertical and rooftop gardens
  • Modeling of driving rain phenomena, estimation of the risk of people getting wet in semi-open spaces, such as stadiums
  • Study of the behavior of trains in severe weather conditions, such as rain, snow and dust storms

Resources

Experimental and digital methods

  • Simulation of all types of rain up to 140 km/h, wind and snow (dry or wet snow) and snow pack.
  • Visual displays of flows using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
  • Characterization of comfort using CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics, through models or in situ measurements
  • Sand and dust storms in wind tunnels up to 120 km/h
  • Reproduction of climate in wind tunnels, from extreme polar cold to tropical humid conditions
  • Digital simulation of flows around structures; hygronometry, temperature and airflow in a building
  • MATHIS, a prediction tool for dynamic indoor thermal and airflow aspects (temperature, pressure, flow rate, humidity rate) depending on outdoor data.

References