swirling wind...

[Maverick]

I'm wondering if TCF Stadium is going to be known for a swirling wind.

That wonderful monsterous scoreboard on the West/Northwest side of the open end could create some tricky wind patterns.

Does anybody know if they did any wind engineering or predicting as part of the design?

 

[GopherGod]

I would doubt the wind testing, they don't even have a plan for parking yet.

 

[GoAUpher]

The U has their stuff together on the stadium

I would doubt the wind testing, they don't even have a plan for parking yet.

They may not have parking and logistics totally figured out but you should not think that the growing pains we're seeing with gameday decisions apply to the stadium as well. The U has their stuff together with the building of TCF. The attention to detail is impressive. I do not know if they have done any wind testing...if they haven't I would say its not for a lack of caring or attention but rather due to the fact that the open end was sighted for visual/experience purposes. The idea was to get an amazing view of the Minneapolis skyline and have the stadium open up onto campus. I'm pretty sure there could be some weird wind patterns, but that could be a little home cooking if we learn to play with it.

 

[Golden Elephant]

I've gotta 2nd GoAUpher's comment - the stadium is very impressive and the attention to detail in everything from the lockerroom to the band room to the suites to the sightlines and scoreboard has been great.

It's an interesting question about the wind. On windy days, it might lessen FG attempts, which would be a positive IMHO.

 

[station19]

I've gotta 2nd GoAUpher's comment - the stadium is very impressive and the attention to detail in everything from the lockerroom to the band room to the suites to the sightlines and scoreboard has been great.

It's an interesting question about the wind. On windy days, it might lessen FG attempts, which would be a positive IMHO.

Good points but I offer another one to think about. How will the stadium be known for running east and west? Most stadiums run north and south. We may have some interesting situations during sunset hours for offense or defense.

I think the stadium facing west is fantastic. View of Mpls skyline and campus, but also Williams Arena and Marriucci Arena. We now have a true sports complex.---GOPHER PARK---. Or could that be THE GOPHER TRIANGLE?. (Wlms. Marr. and TCF)

 

[Gold Vision]

Good points but I offer another one to think about. How will the stadium be known for running east and west? Most stadiums run north and south. We may have some interesting situations during sunset hours for offense or defense.

I think the stadium facing west is fantastic. View of Mpls skyline and campus, but also Williams Arena and Marriucci Arena. We now have a true sports complex.---GOPHER PARK---. Or could that be THE GOPHER TRIANGLE?. (Wlms. Marr. and TCF)

Pretty sure the area is already named "Stadium Village"

 

[station19]

Stadium Village is too generic and not team specific. Besides Stadium Village didn't have a stadium for 20+ years.

 

[denguegopher]

I'm wondering if TCF Stadium is going to be known for a swirling wind.

That wonderful monsterous scoreboard on the West/Northwest side of the open end could create some tricky wind patterns.

Does anybody know if they did any wind engineering or predicting as part of the design?

I think that most stadiums have quirky wind patterns. Several years ago at the U of South Carolina some urban planning grad student did his thesis on wind patterns at the Gamecock Stadium (Williams-Brice). I guess that at any given instance the wind could be blowing in different directions at different places in the stadium. I think that on a daily basis it is usually most windy at noon and less windy during the evening and night. I would bet that QB's like night games.

 

[Monty519]

Just from living here and just an observation that I might be wrong on, but our winds seem to flow north/south more than east/west on a regular basis. It just seems that way to me. Cause often we'll have those cold fronts or warm fronts that'll shift winds where it'll come from like a northwest angle or from the southeast. Like I said, that's just the way it seems to be from my recollection and experience.

 

[DL65]

Swirling Wind

As to swirling winds in the east-west configuration of the new stadium, a few weeks ago I raised the same question. I referenced the reported swirling winds of the "Old Brickhouse." Hayden Fry, when he coached at Southern Methodist and Iowa before the Gophers moved to the Metrodome, talked about the unusual wind patterns and how he, his coaching staffs and kickers tried to factor the stadium's wind variations in their planning on game day. I also recall some Big 10 coaches talking about the swirling winds of the east-west stadium. So, yes, I imagine the new stadium will bring about some discussions that we haven't heard raised in over 25 years.

It'll be nice to be out of the sterile confines of the downtown dome!

Go Gophers!!

 

[GoAUpher]

We may have some interesting situations during sunset hours for offense or defense.

I've been thinking about this too. It'd be interesting to see a team defer so they could have the sun in the opponent's eyes in the 4th...

 

[The Big L]

I love these little quirks. That's what makes stadiums so unique and interesting instead of the generic identity-less dome.

 

[husker70]

The biggest quirk in TCF

Is the placement and site direction of the field itself. It will be a factor early in the year with the sun higher in the sky, but make no mistake running the field sorta East/West to capture the skyline of Minneapolis while esthetic, may make some punt and pass catches in the Bowl end very interesting in the late afternoon sun.

 

[harrys ghost]

My memory's getting pretty bad but wasn't ...

the Memorial stadium field situated mainly East-West?

 

[WAGopher]

Memorial Stadium ran more like NW (open end) to SE (closed end).

 

[McGopherFan]

Opps

I've been thinking about this too. It'd be interesting to see a team defer so they could have the sun in the opponent's eyes in the 4th...

That, in many cases would mean giving the ball away twice. The plan would not to defer, but to take the ball in the first half. That would result in having choice of ends for the second half. If the light issue takes place in the first half they would then choose to defer.

 

[rovert M]

This swirling wind question really caught my attention, and I saw an opportunity to perform a CFD Study on the stadium. This meant creating a full-sized 3-d model of the stadium, creating a mesh over the stadium, and sending a flow across the stadium.

I created the model of the stadium by taking measurements off of pictures that were created by HOK in January 2007, and posted on gophersports.com. I used a scaling factor based off of known dimensions (such as the length of the field) to ROUGHLY determine dimensions on the stadium.
<o></o>
I did needed to make a few approximations, such as the size of the smaller scoreboard, where the scoreboards are located, the thickness and height of the walls around the field and at the edge of the stadium, and the location and height of the wall that separates the interior of the stadium from the plaza area. You’ll also notice that the model of the stadium is more square on the enclosed end than round, but I am guessing that the flat, top portion of the stadium will not have a major effect on the results and would just be wasted mesh and more effort to create.
<o></o>
I sent a 10mph wind directly into the open end of the stadium. Just to reiterate, there is a bunch of guess work as to where certain features are located, and the dimensions I used to create the model are not exact. Hopefully, this gives a general idea of what we may see happen should a 10mph wind enter the stadium from the west.

The photos that show just 1/2 of the stadium are cutting away on the plane that runs vertically at the 50 yard line, and on the plane that runs directly down the middle of the field from endzone to endzone. The lone vertical line in the photo looking at the open end of the stadium shows the middle of the field.

 

[Maverick]

This is awsome!

This swirling wind question really caught my attention, and I saw an opportunity to perform a CFD Study on the stadium. This meant creating a full-sized 3-d model of the stadium, creating a mesh over the stadium, and sending a flow across the stadium.

I created the model of the stadium by taking measurements off of pictures that were created by HOK in January 2007, and posted on gophersports.com. I used a scaling factor based off of known dimensions (such as the length of the field) to ROUGHLY determine dimensions on the stadium.
<O></O>
I did needed to make a few approximations, such as the size of the smaller scoreboard, where the scoreboards are located, the thickness and height of the walls around the field and at the edge of the stadium, and the location and height of the wall that separates the interior of the stadium from the plaza area. You’ll also notice that the model of the stadium is more square on the enclosed end than round, but I am guessing that the flat, top portion of the stadium will not have a major effect on the results and would just be wasted mesh and more effort to create.
<O></O>
I sent a 10mph wind directly into the open end of the stadium. Just to reiterate, there is a bunch of guess work as to where certain features are located, and the dimensions I used to create the model are not exact. Hopefully, this gives a general idea of what we may see happen should a 10mph wind enter the stadium from the west.

The photos that show just 1/2 of the stadium are cutting away on the plane that runs vertically at the 50 yard line, and on the plane that runs directly down the middle of the field from endzone to endzone. The lone vertical line in the photo looking at the open end of the stadium shows the middle of the field.

Thanks for doing this!

It looks to me, under this scenario, like the visitors sideline will be in a buffetting wind (think following a semi truck too closely at 60 mph) and it looks like the area directly in front (field side) of the scoreboard could actually have wind curling around towards the scoreboard....

 

[mnboiler]

Ya there is some interesting wind patterns on the vistor sideline along with right by the pressbox. But if I'm looking at the pictures right they are only around 1-2 mph which really wouldn't have a huge affect on the game. Right in front of the scoreboard and under the press box will have some interesting patterns too. Thanks for doing that rovert M it looked like alot of work.