Florida State University Researchers Find Wave-Shaped Building Envelopes Cut Wind Loads by Up to 60%

Engineers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have demonstrated that integrating wave-shaped architectural contours into exterior walls and roofs can reduce wind loads on low-rise structures by up to 60 percent. Published in the journal Engineering Structures, the research explores how nonconventional undulating building envelopes alter aerodynamic forces during severe storms, offering architects an alternative to costly material reinforcements or structural retrofits.

To measure the effect of undulating geometries, the team fabricated 3D-printed scale models of low-rise buildings equipped with wave-shaped roof and wall systems instead of flat surfaces. In a wind tunnel at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, researchers tested wave amplitudes ranging between 5 percent and 10 percent of total building height, recording surface pressure variations across multiple wind directions against conventional flat designs. The model with the deepest wave profile proved most effective, reducing peak wind pressures by 40 percent to 60 percent near roof edges and wall corners.

High-speed winds flowing over flat walls or pitched roofs typically create strong localized low-pressure zones on exterior surfaces. When internal or ambient air pressure pushes outward toward these zones, destructive vortices form along sharp edges and corners. The undulating hills and valleys break up smooth airflow and eliminate the localized pockets where severe suction loads collect, redirecting turbulent air currents away from the building envelope.

"Changing a building's shape can significantly reduce the intensity of wind forces it has to withstand," said Pedro Fernández-Cabán, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of civil engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. "These nonconventional building shapes reduce the damage from worst-case severe weather scenarios. It's another tool for engineers and designers to protect against wind damage."

Structural engineers typically combat extreme wind forces using exterior setbacks, rounded corners, sloped walls, or heavier structural materials. As detailed in reporting by TechXplore (https://techxplore.com/news/2026-10-wall-roof-hurricane.html), those traditional approaches can substantially increase construction expenses, and physical site constraints often make them difficult to implement on existing buildings. Macro-corrugated envelopes provide a geometric alternative that lowers wind loads through aerodynamic disruption rather than structural mass.

The study was co-authored by doctoral student Arezoo Bakhshizadeh, associate professor Qian Zhang, and alumnus Peter Tsouroukdissian alongside Fernández-Cabán. While the initial tests measured surface wind pressures, the researchers are currently conducting follow-up experiments to map ambient airflow fields around the corrugated envelopes. The team also plans to apply computational fluid dynamics modeling to evaluate other surface profiles and further optimize wave patterns.