Results of a CFD benchmark for wind loads on a high-rise building

In recent years, the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to evaluate flow fields has become more popular in various branches of industry. In building design, there is a similar trend towards the increasing use of CFD. There are several guidelines for CFD analysis of flows in the urban environment, e.g. [1-4]. For assessment of wind speed conditions in and around buildings, CFD has become an accepted tool, next to wind tunnel or in-situ measurements. However, CFD is rarely applied for wind load studies on buildings, because of: (1) the limited knowledge of CFD experts in industry about the determination of wind loads, and (2) the required complexity (e.g. time-dependent analysis) of a CFD model for wind load prediction. A benchmark wind tunnel test was set up to make a comparison with CFD simulations of wind loads performed by industry parties. The objectives were: 1. To improve the current knowledge base with CFD experts in industry on the assessment of wind loads on buildings. 2. To obtain insight in (in)appropriate model settings for CFD simulations to assess wind loads. This benchmark is intended as a first step towards a Best Practice Guideline for the assessment of wind loads with CFD.