Effect of Edge Configuration on Rectangular and Plus Plan Shape Buildings Having Same Plan Area (300 m2) and Height (50 m)

Abstract

Wind pressure is an important factor governing the natural ventilation, pedestrian comfort and design of tall buildings. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling is a convenient, economic and faster solution to access the wind pressure in tall buildings of various architectural shapes. With the advancement of numerical simulations, it is feasible to reveal the mechanism of wind responses on tall buildings by conducting experiments for structural variables like moments, loads, pressure etc. While wind pressure is utilized as a primary means of understanding natural ventilation, the force and moment it exerts on structure may be utilized for structural resistance and stability. ANSYS (CFX) is one of the numerical simulations that is used for analyzing the wind pressure on tall buildings. The procedure allows modelling complex geometries with full control over mesh grid quality. It also provides way to implement various changes in the model geometry and meshing grid for parametric studies. This paper aims to analyze the effect of edge configurations on pressure distribution on faces of buildings of rectangular and plus plan shapes having same plan area and height. Values of surface pressures generated were evaluated to calculate external mean coefficient of pressure (CPe) at wind incident angles 0° and 90° on both type of plan shape models. Unusual pressure distributions on certain faces of the plus plan shape have been observed.KeywordsEdge configurationPlus plan shape buildingANSYS (CFX)Wind pressure coefficientsk-ε model