Diploma in Wind Tunnel Testing and CFD for Structures
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in wind tunnel testing and CFD for structures. 8 modules covering similarity and physical modelling, boundary layer wind tunnels, structural testing, CFD fundamentals for wind, meshing and case set-up, validation and combined use, and translating results into structural design, applying ASCE/SEI 49-21, EN 1991-1-4 and AWES-QAM-1 with OpenFOAM, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Wind Tunnel Testing and CFD for Structures — studying from the United Kingdom
Civil and infrastructure engineering is a major employment sector in the United Kingdom, with significant activity in transport, water, energy and urban regeneration. Rail projects such as HS2 and ongoing network upgrades by Network Rail create demand for engineers in track, signalling, structures and systems. Smart city initiatives in cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Milton Keynes apply digital technologies to mobility, utilities and public services. Major contractors and consultancies including Balfour Beatty, Arup and AECOM employ civil and rail professionals across the country.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £1,490 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK professional bodies are relevant to civil and rail engineering qualifications?
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and, for rail, bodies such as the Permanent Way Institution and the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers are relevant in the UK. Chartered status is handled through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so you should confirm with ICE or the relevant institution how your study would be treated.
Do UK civil, rail and smart city employers recognise online private qualifications?
UK infrastructure employers, including consultancies, contractors, rail operators and local authorities, generally recruit based on competence, professional registration and project experience. A private qualification can add to your profile, but employers decide its relevance. Practical experience and progress towards professional registration usually carry more weight.
How does online study fit with a UK working schedule, and what about funding?
Online study lets you keep working in the UK, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Fees are payable in instalments, and some employers support job-related training, which is common practice in general terms but varies by employer. Each programme has a defined number of hours and an assigned technical tutor. Review the hours and funding options before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Apply similarity principles in physical modelling.
Set up and instrument boundary layer wind tunnel tests.
Carry out pressure, force balance and aeroelastic tests.
Develop CFD simulations with RANS and LES models.
Validate numerical results against experimental data.
Derive design loads from tests and simulations.
Write technical reports for aerodynamic studies.
Who it's for
- Wind tunnel engineers planning and running structural tests.
- CFD analysts applying simulation to wind loads and urban flows.
- Aerodynamic laboratory technicians handling instrumentation and data acquisition.
- Wind load engineers turning test data into design loads.
- Civil aerodynamics consultants advising on buildings and bridges.
- Wind engineering researchers combining experiments and simulation.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter testing laboratories.
What you'll work with
- ASCE/SEI 49-21 (wind tunnel testing for buildings)
- EN 1991-1-4 (Eurocode 1 — wind actions)
- AWES-QAM-1 (quality assurance manual for wind tunnel studies)
- COST Action 732 (best practice guideline for CFD of urban flows)
- AIJ Guidelines (practical applications of CFD to the pedestrian wind environment)
- VDI 3783 Part 12 (physical modelling of flow)
- ISO 4354:2009 (wind actions on structures)
- OpenFOAM
- ANSYS Fluent
- STAR-CCM+
- ParaView
- LabVIEW
8 modules
1.1Dimensional analysis and the Pi theorem1.2Reynolds, Strouhal and Froude numbers1.3Geometric, velocity and time scales1.4Similarity limitations for bluff bodies1.5Surface roughness and scale effects1.6Rigid, sectional and aeroelastic models1.7Mass and stiffness scaling1.8Blockage and corrections1.9Designing a test plan1.10Practical: defining the scales for a bridge test
2.1Tunnel types: open and closed circuit2.2Boundary layer generation with spires and roughness2.3Calibration of profiles and turbulence2.4Turntable and modelling of surroundings2.5Instrumentation: Pitot, Cobra probe and hot wire2.6PIV and flow visualisation2.7Multichannel pressure scanners2.8Data acquisition and sampling frequency2.9Experimental uncertainty and repeatability2.10Laboratory: calibration of a simulated boundary layer
3.1Integrated pressure models3.2High-frequency force balance (HFFB)3.3Aeroelastic testing of towers3.4Sectional models of bridge decks3.5Flutter derivatives and aerodynamic coefficients3.6Testing of lightweight roofs and stadiums3.7Loads on chimneys and communication towers3.8Pollutant dispersion tests3.9Pedestrian comfort tests with probes3.10Case study: sectional model of a cable-stayed bridge
4.1Navier-Stokes equations and incompressibility4.2Finite volume discretisation4.3RANS turbulence models4.4Large eddy simulation (LES)4.5Hybrid DES models4.6Boundary layer boundary conditions4.7Wall functions and roughness4.8Numerical schemes and stability4.9Convergence and residuals4.10Workshop: first case of flow around a prism
5.1Domain size and blockage criteria5.2Structured and unstructured meshes5.3Near-surface refinement5.4Synthetic turbulent inflow generation5.5Mesh independence study5.6Time step and Courant number5.7Parallelisation and computing resources5.8Post-processing of pressures and velocities5.9Automating cases by wind direction5.10Practical: meshing an urban environment with snappyHexMesh
6.1COST 732 and AIJ best practice6.2Validation benchmark cases6.3CFD-wind tunnel pressure comparison6.4Quantitative validation metrics6.5Advantages of each technique by application6.6CFD at the concept design stage6.7Wind tunnel at the detailed design stage6.8Managing uncertainties6.9Integration into structural design6.10Case study: CFD-wind tunnel comparison for a tall building
7.1Combination with directional climate data7.2Equivalent static loads7.3Response analysis using balance data7.4Design pressures for cladding7.5Gust factor and extreme values7.6Preparing test reports7.7Independent review of results7.8Using results in BIM models7.9Responsibilities of the laboratory7.10Workshop: design loads from measured pressures
8.1Case statement and objectives8.2Design of the experimental test8.3CFD model of the case8.4Analysis of experimental results8.5Analysis of numerical results8.6Comparison and validation8.7Derived design loads8.8Conclusions and recommendations8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenFOAM, ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, ParaView and LabVIEW, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied on real procedures such as a high-frequency force balance test of a tower model, LES simulation of pressures on a stadium roof and comparison of CFD and wind tunnel results in an urban setting. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Standards covered: ASCE/SEI 49-21, EN 1991-1-4, AWES-QAM-1, COST Action 732, AIJ Guidelines, VDI 3783 Part 12, ISO 4354:2009.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with OpenFOAM, ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, ParaView and LabVIEW, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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