Large-eddy simulation of wind effects on a super-tall building in urban environment conditions

Abstract

A combined study of large-eddy simulation (LES), wind tunnel testing and full-scale measurement is conducted for the evaluation of wind effects on a super-tall building in a complex urban area. To validate the numerical simulations, the wind tunnel experiments including synchronous multi-pressure and high-frequency force balance model tests are conducted in a boundary layer wind tunnel laboratory. The numerical predictions are then compared with the experimental results, demonstrating that the LES can provide comparable predictions of the wind effects on the super-tall building. Furthermore, the cross-validation of the predicted displacement responses by the LES against the wind tunnel and full-scale measurements are presented and the agreement among them is reasonably good. The main objective of this study is to explore an effective numerical approach for the accurate estimation of wind effects on tall buildings in urban environment conditions and promote the practical use of the LES in the wind-resistant design of complex structures.