Effects of the corner shape of high-rise buildings on the pedestrian-level wind environment with consideration for mean and fluctuating wind speeds

Abstract

A series of wind-tunnel experiments have been carried out on the effects of the corner shape of high-rise buildings on the pedestrian-level wind environment around them. This study is concerned with high-rise apartment houses which have often been constructed in suburban areas of Japan. Four types of corner shapes were tested. The distributions of the mean and rms wind speeds around each model were measured by a hot-wire anemometer for various wind directions at the pedestrian level in a turbulent boundary layer. The wind environment was evaluated based on the distribution of an “ effective wind speed” in which both the effects of the mean and the fluctuating wind speed are considered. The results inducate that the flow characteristics around the building generally change with a small change of the building's corner shape, and that the degree of the effect depends on the wind direction. The most desirable corner shape regarding the wind environment was suggested for each wind direction.