Effect of Wind Loads on Low-Rise Pitched and Circular Arch Roof Structures: A Comparative Study based on Numerical Simulation

Abstract

Through numerical simulations based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), this study examines the effect of wind load operating on a pitched roof and a circular arch roof of an identical plan area of a storage structure with one wall opening. Many numerical simulations have been performed by other researchers for other types of roofs to understand the behavior of wind flow associated with them. Also, the wind standards of multiple countries have provided the Coefficients of Pressures for standard building shapes. However, there is lack of similar work for structures having one wall opening. Ansys CFX fluid flow software has been used to carry out the simulations using a standard k-ε turbulence model. The simulations have been carried out for 7 wind incidence angles at an interval of 30ᵒ. Pressure, Force, Moment, Drag and Lift Coefficients generated on the roofs were compared. It was found that, although variation in these coefficients w.r.t the wind incidence angles are similar for both the roofs types, the sharp-edged rooftop of the pitched roof contributes to higher magnitudes of these coefficients as compared to the smooth arch roof. Mathematical modules between the face average of pressure coefficients and the wind incidence angles were established in a polynomial form which could be used to find the face average of pressure coefficients and corresponding pressures and forces for arbitrary wind incidence angles.