Influence of Turbulence, Orientation, and Site Configuration on the Response of Buildings to Extreme Wind

Abstract

Atmospheric turbulence results from the vertical movement of air, together with flow disturbances around surface obstacles which make low- and moderate-level winds extremely irregular. Recent advancements in wind engineering have led to the construction of new facilities for testing residential homes at relatively high Reynolds numbers. However, the generation of a fully developed turbulence in these facilities is challenging. The author proposed techniques for the testing of residential buildings and architectural features in flows that lack fully developed turbulence. While these methods are effective for small structures, the extension of the approach for large and flexible structures is not possible yet. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of turbulence in the response of tall buildings to extreme winds. In addition, the paper presents a detailed analysis to investigate the influence of upstream terrain conditions, wind direction angle (orientation), and the interference effect from the surrounding on the response of high-rise buildings. The methodology presented can be followed to help decision makers to choose among innovative solutions like aerodynamic mitigation, structural member size adjustment, and/or damping enhancement, with an objective to improve the resiliency and the serviceability of buildings.

Energy-Based Design of Buckling-Restrained Steel Braced Frames for Concurrent Occurrences of Earthquake and Wind

“…Aly [5] and Aly & Abburu [6] studied earthquake and wind loads on two (54-and 76-story) high-rise reinforced concrete buildings. By performing a modal transformation of the equations of motion written for the frames and assuming Rayleigh damping for these frames, they integrated each modal equation numerically to obtain and compare the inter-story drifts.…”

Structural Improvements for Tall Buildings under Wind Loads: Comparative Study

“…Since the approaching wind flow may have different mean wind speeds when it reaches the building from different directions, and considering the fact that along-wind and the cross wind responses are different, it is feasible to rotate original building layout in such a way that the wind induced responses are reduced [57]. From the dynamic procedures and the tests in the wind tunnel, it is possible to understand the most correct layout for building, especially if other tall buildings will rise up nearby [58]. The decrease of the stress effects in -direction is obtained by 45 ∘ clockwise rotation of building from the initial layout ( Figure 13).…”

CFD Investigation of Aerodynamic Effects on Multi-span Low-rise Structures with Curved Canopy Roofs of Different Apex Height

“…[5] focused on analysing the wind-induced interference effects under various conditions and aimed to provide a detailed understanding of how wind behaviour is affected by the presence of other tall buildings. [6] focused on understanding the effects of random, chaotic fluctuations in the wind speed as well as the direction on the behaviour of tall buildings when exposed to extreme winds.…”