windreductie

Windreductie is a concept used in Dutch planning, engineering and landscape design that refers to reducing the impact of wind on an area, structure or population. It encompasses reducing wind speed, wind loads on buildings, wind-driven erosion, and uncomfortable wind exposure.

Applications include urban design to improve pedestrian comfort and safety, architecture to lower wind loads on façades, and agriculture to protect crops via windbreaks and shelterbelts. In infrastructure, windreductie can mitigate gusts around roads, bridges and open spaces.

Techniques include physical barriers such as fences, walls, berms, vertical screens and vegetative windbreaks; landscape planning to create sheltered microclimates; optimizing building orientation, shape, and facade porosity; and, where appropriate, temporary screens during construction. In some cases, computer simulations (CFD) and wind tunnel testing are used to predict wind patterns and the effectiveness of measures.

Effectiveness depends on scale, wind climate, and surrounding topography. Benefits can include reduced soil erosion, less heat loss and injury risk, improved comfort for pedestrians, and lower maintenance costs. Drawbacks can include higher costs, reduced ventilation, potential impacts on aesthetics or biodiversity, and maintenance needs for vegetation.

Related topics include wind load, urban microclimate, windbreaks, and computational fluid dynamics.