Applying porous trees as a windbreak to lower desert dust concentration: Case study of an urban community in Dubai

Abstract

Windbreaks are rows of rough or porous materials that create aerodynamic shelter from wind or purify the wind. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of adding windbreaks of permeable trees in order to achieve a more comfortable microclimate and healthy atmosphere at an urban level. A local community in Dubai was chosen to act as a case study for this project. The case was analyzed before and after applying permeable trees as a windbreak to purify the desert wind, using different scenarios for one year. Readings of PM₁₀ were recorded for one year and the effect of windbreaks was quantified by calculating the concentration in front of and behind the windbreak using SimScale software. Two cases were investigated over the period of one year: 20 m spacing (case 1) and 10 m spacing between trees (case 2). Wind velocity and pressure were also measured. The analysis shows that case 1 was more effective than case 2 when designing a windbreak in a dusty area. The tree windbreak was more effective if the wind was prevailing perpendicularly. In case 2, the dust reduction ranged between 19 % and 22 %. The paper reveals more critical findings.