Abstract
To explore the interference effects of a high-rise building on the snow load on a low-rise building with a flat roof, a series of wind tunnel tests were carried out with fine silica sand as a substitute for snow particles. The effects of the height of the interfering building and the distance between buildings on the snow distribution of the target building under three different wind directions were studied. The snow depth on the target building roof and the mass of particles blown off from the target building were measured during the wind tunnel tests, and the results showed that the snow distribution of the target building roof tends to be uniform when the interfering building is located upstream of the target building due to the shelter effect. When the interfering building is on the side of the target building, the snow distribution of the target building tends to be more uneven, because the interfering building increases the friction velocity on the target building roof near the interfering building. However, when the interfering building is located downstream of the target building, there will be an amplification effect of snow accumulation, and the snow distribution on the target building roof is nearly the same as that of the isolated condition. Under each wind direction, the interference effect of the snow load increases with the increase of the building height and the decrease of the building spacing. Therefore, the influence of the surrounding buildings on the snow distribution of the building roof cannot be ignored and should be considered in the structure design.
Highlights
Structure collapses caused by blizzards are a common phenomenon, which has caused many casualties and huge economic losses
The uneven distribution of snow load caused by snowdrift is one of the main reasons for structures being damaged by heavy snow
The snow distribution on the roof of a building is mainly influenced by the wind field around the building
Summary
Structure collapses caused by blizzards are a common phenomenon, which has caused many casualties and huge economic losses. The uneven distribution of snow load caused by snowdrift is one of the main reasons for structures being damaged by heavy snow. The snow distribution on the roof of a building is mainly influenced by the wind field around the building. There are always buildings adjacent to a certain building, which will seriously affect the wind field in the vicinity, and it will affect the friction velocity on the building. This will result in a completely different form of snow distribution on the building when compared with the isolated condition. It is necessary to carry out relevant studies on the snow load interference effect
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