Investigation of the Effect of the Wind Speed on the Aerodynamic and Architectural Design of Tall Buildings

Abstract

The magnitude, speed, direction, and distribution of the wind are known to have a negative impact on high-rise buildings, particularly when the building is extremely tall. As the height of the building increases, the effect of the wind increases significantly. This results in a high wind pressure exerted on the building which causes the wind loads subjected by the buildings to increase considerably. Thus, this study investigates the wind effect on tall buildings and proposes a solution to reduce the aerodynamic drag through a design that meets both architectural and aerodynamic considerations. Investigation of wind effect on tall buildings with different wind speeds, heights and shapes is carried out. Numerical methods are utilized to study the wind pressure, drag coefficient and pressure distribution on different types of buildings. ANSYS Fluent is used for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to assess the drag coefficient of the buildings. The drag coefficient of the building is determined in Reynold’s number range of 1×106 to 2×106. The study is conducted in low subsonic speed (Ma < 0.3). The result shows that the drag coefficient of the building tends to be constant at low subsonic speeds. Besides, the study found that the drag coefficient increases by 1% to 3% for every 0.1 m increment in the height of the building. The study also found that a cylindrical building has the lowest drag coefficient because of its more streamlined shape. Overall, this study provided guidance and recommendations for wind resistance which can be taken into consideration when designing tall buildings. Hence, the building can be built even taller while maintaining its rigidity and stability.