Neighborhood, Topography, and Wind Direction Effects on Wind Pressure Distribution on the Low-rise Building Roof

Abstract

Low-rise buildings are the majority of the houses that are constructed all over the world. Experiments of the wind loads acting on these buildings provide vital information to design secure structures and adverse weather conditions resistants, considering the basic parameters as roof slopes and the wind direction. This study estimated the distribution of wind pressures around the contour of buildings with gable roofs, considering diverse neighborhood conditions, namely the number and geometric configuration of buildings on the ground, in conjunction with the different angles of wind incidence and topography. The simulations took place with Ansys Workbench software, and the RNG K-Epsilon turbulence model and tetrahedral mesh were employed. The application validation of the CFD technique occurred in the double-sloped pitched roof structure. The results showed good concordance with the literature. The pressure coefficients were analyzed, as well, in the flow visualization, highlighting the attachment points and the recirculation zones.