Investigating the impact of local wind conditions on Toronto's glass balcony guard failures

An investigative study was performed on the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto in order to determine the impact of local wind conditions on the glass balcony guard failures seen in Toronto in the last five years. An accurate CFD simulation model was developed for external flow applications through a wind tunnel validation study. The simulation was used to analyze average wind conditions and extreme (gust) wind conditions at the balcony guard failure locations, as well as identify potential areas of concern on the Shangri-La Hotel. A strong correlation between failure location and common wind conditions was established, however it was concluded that wind loading was likely not the primary cause of failure.