Internal pressures in a full-scale test enclosure with windward wall openings

Abstract

A single opening on the windward wall which generates large internal pressures in a building often defines the critical wind loading structural design criterion. This paper presents internal pressure fluctuations in a sealed Full-Scale Test Enclosure (FSTE) for a range of single windward wall opening configurations induced by atmospheric wind flow, to assess the influence opening size (i.e. S* = (A3/2/V)(as/U¯h)2) has on the internal pressure. Damped Helmholtz resonance was observed for S* > 0.88, with peak and standard deviation internal pressures being about 5% higher than the external pressures when S* > 1.9. Internal pressure fluctuations are attenuated when S* < 0.75. The inertial coefficient CI is between 1.3 and 1.5 and the loss coefficient CL increases with increasing opening area (0.88 < S* < 5.8) between 10 and 20. These parameters have a significant influence on the internal pressure fluctuations, and this controlled full-scale study carried out for the first time provides data for validating analytical and model-scale studies on internal pressure fluctuations in buildings.