Internal pressures in a full-scale test enclosure with windward wall openings

Humphreys, Mitchell T.;Ginger, John D.;Henderson, David J.

Abstract

A single opening on the windward wall of a building often contributes to the critical wind loading structural design criterion. This paper describes internal pressure fluctuations in a sealed Full-Scale Test Enclosure for a range of single openings configurations induced by atmospheric wind flow, to understand the influence single opening size (i.e. S*) has on the design internal pressure. The internal pressure fluctuations are shown to be influenced by the size of the opening (S*), Helmholtz resonance was observed for S* > 0.8. Peak and standard deviation internal pressures are amplified by about 5% as S* > 0.8. Internal pressure fluctuations are attenuated when S* < 0.5. An analysis in this study shows loss coefficients CL increasing with increasing opening area (0.8 < S* < 4) between 10 to and 20, and inertial coefficients CI between 1.4 to and 1.5. Multiple small openings on a single wall representative of background porosity (or envelope leakage) restricts the flow in and out of the building, damping the internal pressure fluctuations and reduces the peak internal pressure.

Journal

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

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189

ISBN/ISSN

1872-8197

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Publisher

Elsevier

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DOI

10.1016/j.jweia.2019.03.024