Numerical Study of the Effect of Wall Opening on Wind Pressures on Low-Rise Gable-Roofed Buildings

Abstract

The external and internal wind pressure distribution characteristics on the roof surface of a low-rise gable-roofed building with wall openings are studied by means of the numerical simulation technique. The validity and accuracy of the numerical simulation is first demonstrated by comparison with the existing full-scale experimental results. In order to investigate the effect of wall opening locations on the pressure distribution, a parametric analysis is carried out to a typical gable-roofed building with different wall opening conditions. The analysis results indicate that wall opening locations have no significant effect on the external wind pressure but have considerable influence on the internal wind pressure. The cases of two opposite wall openings appear to be more favorable than those of single front wall openging for wind resistance of the building roof, if the angle of approaching wind flow from the inner normal line of the front wall is smaller than 90°.