Interference Effects on High-Rise Buildings – Overview of the Recent Research

Abstract

Wind loads on buildings are evaluated by using codes and standards. They are based on wind tunnel tests, which are performed on an isolated model in open exposure. Measurements by several researchers have shown that wind loads on real objects are considerably different than those on an isolated building. Structures around building decrease or increase the forces on building. This effect is termed interference. Interference includes geometry, layout and orientation of surrounding objects. Further aspects are direction of the wind and terrain conditions. For this reason it is necessary to evaluate interference before planning. The aim of the article is to overview the recent research, comparison between an isolated building and a group of buildings, to name the interference parameters and explain how they modify the forces on building. Also attempt to provide general recommendations for elementary models because this problem has large number of variations, especially for complicated models where it is necessary to evaluate the specific type of building. These recommendations should be used by designers and planners of the buildings.