Numerical simulations of wind pressures on buildings in staggered arrangement

This paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation of wind-induced interference effects on the pressure distribution on a building adjacent to another one in staggered arrangement. The tests are carried out in a low-speed wind tunnel. Mean and fluctuating pressure measurements on the building at different wind directions are obtained. The simulations of the experiments have been performed by solving Navier-Stokes equations using the RNG κ-e turbulence model. The computational method is based on a pressure correction algorithm of the SIMPLE-type. Effects of wind direction on wind pressures have been observed through the wind tunnel tests and the numerical simulations. The computational results are generally in good agreement with the wind tunnel tests.