Wind tunnel investigation on the wind load of large-span coal sheds with porous gables: Influence of gable ventilation

Abstract

Recently a novel coal shed with porous gables emerged as the production and environmental protection requirements of the coal yards. In this study, the wind load characteristics on such coal shed are investigated through wind tunnel tests. The influences of gable ventilation on the overall aerodynamic loads, wind pressure distributions, and peak wind loads are discussed by comparing with the wind tunnel results on coal sheds with solid and open gables. It is found that the gable ventilation might significantly alleviate wind suctions on the roof and gables induced by separation flows whereas the positive pressure could be enhanced. The wind loads on such coal sheds can be different from those on conventional coal sheds with solid or open gables. However, the wind load seems insensitive to the gable porosity within the common range. Consequently, the zone values of mean and peak wind loads for the main structures and claddings are summarized respectively for engineering reference. Finally, it is evident that adopting porous gables would be beneficial for not only providing a fine wind environment but also reducing the unfavorable wind loads, which are of great promise in engineering application.