Wind‐Tunnel Techniques for Assessment of Pedestrian‐Level Winds
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 119, Issue 10
Abstract
Wind conditions around high‐rise buildings in cities may create serious environmental problems at the pedestrian level. In spite of the progress of computational techniques in wind engineering, wind‐tunnel experiments are still considered to be the most reliable approach for the evaluation of pedestrian‐level winds. A number of techniques have been developed for assessing the mean and turbulent characteristics of the wind regime around buildings near the ground. These techniques can be grouped into two categories: point methods and area methods. This paper reviews the experimental methods and discusses their advantages and limitations with respect to the requirements of pedestrian‐level wind studies. In addition to conventional techniques such as thermal anemometry, pressure sensor, flow visualization and erosion, some newly developed methodologies such as laser‐Doppler anemometry, particle‐image velocimetry, and infrared thermography are described. The selection of the most appropriate experimental methodology for the best assessment of pedestrian‐level wind conditions is discussed in terms of spatial coverage and accuracy.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Adrian, R. J. (1991). “Particle‐imaging techniques for experimental fluid mechanics.” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 23, 261–304.
2.
Advances in fluid mechanics measurements. (1989). M. Gad‐el‐Hak, ed., Springer‐Verlag, New York, N.Y.
3.
Baskaran, A. (1990). “Computer simulation of 3D turbulent wind effects on buildings,” PhD thesis, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
4.
Bellhouse, B. J., and Schultz, D. L. (1966). “Determination of mean and dynamic skin friction, separation and transition in low‐speed flow with a thin‐film heated element.” J. Fluid Mech., 24, 379–400.
5.
Beranek, W. J. (1984). “Wind environment around single buildings of rectangular shape and wind environment around building configurations.” HERON, Delft, The Netherlands, 29(1), 1–70.
6.
Borges, A. R. J., and Saraiva, J. A. G. (1979). “An erosion technique for assessing ground level winds.” Proc., 5th Int. Conf. on Wind Engrg., J. E. Cermak, ed., Pergamon Press, New York, N.Y., 235–242.
7.
Bottema, M. (1993). “Wind climate and urban geometry,” PhD thesis, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
8.
Bradbury, L. J. S. (1976). “Measurements with a pulsed‐wire and a hot wire anemometer in a highly turbulent wake of a normal flat plate.” J. Fluid Mech., 177, 473–497.
9.
Buchhave, P., George, W. K., and Lumley, J. L. (1979). “The measurement of turbulence with the laser‐Doppler anemometer.” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., Vol. 11, 443–503.
10.
Comte‐Bellot, G. (1976). “Hot‐wire anemometry.” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., Vol. 8, 209–231.
11.
Durgin, F. H. (1985). “Proposed standards and a new criteria for pedestrian level wind studies for Boston, Massachusetts.” Proc., 5th U.S. Nat. Conf. on Wind Engrg., Wind Engineering Research Council, Inc., Lubbock, Tex., 5A/9–18.
12.
Ettouney, S. M., and Fricke, F. R. (1975). “An anemometer for scale model environmental wind measurements.” Building Sci., 10, 17–26.
13.
Fingerson, L. M., and Freymuth, P. (1983). “Thermal anemometers.” Fluid mechanics measurements, R. J. Goldstein, ed., Hemisphere Publishing Corp., Washington, D.C., 99–154.
14.
Gandemer, J. (1975). “Wind environment around buildings: aerodynamic concepts.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Wind Effects on Buildings and Struct., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 423–432.
15.
Gräßer, A., Hühnergarth, A., and Schnotale, D. (1990). “Non‐rotating instrument for simultaneous measurement of wind velocity and wind direction.” Technisches Messen, Munich, Germany, 57(12), 469–472.
16.
Hanratty, T. J., and Campbell, J. A. (1983). “Measurement of wall shear stress.” Fluid mechanics measurements, R.J. Goldstein, ed., Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 559–615.
17.
Hot‐wire/hot‐film anemometry: techniques and applications; a short course. (1992). Dantec Electronics, Mahwah, N.J.
18.
Irwin, H. P. A. H. (1981). “A simple omnidirectional sensor for wind‐tunnel studies of pedestrian‐level winds.” J. Wind Engrg. and Indust. Aerodyn., 7(3), 219–240.
19.
Irwin, P. A. (1982). “Instrumentation considerations for velocity measurements.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Wind Tunnel Modelling Criteria and Techniques in Civil Engrg. Application, T. A. Reinhold, ed., Cambridge University Press, New York, N.Y., 546–557.
20.
Isyumov, N., and Davenport, A. G. (1975). “The ground level wind environment in built‐up areas.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Wind Effects on Buildings and Struct., Cambridge University Press, London, England, 403–422.
21.
Livesey, F., Inculet, D., Isyumov, N., and Davenport, A. G. (1989). “A scour technique for the evaluation of pedestrian winds.” Proc., 6th U.S. Nat. Conf. on Wind Engrg., Wind Engineering Research Council, Inc., Houston, Tex., 1, C5‐1–C5‐11.
22.
Livesey, F., Morrish, D., Mikitiuk, M., and Isyumov, N. (1992). “Enhanced scour tests to evaluate pedestrian level winds.” J. Wind Engrg. and Indust. Aerodyn., 41–44, 2265–2276.
23.
Nagib, H. M. (1977). “Visualization of turbulent and complex flows using controlled sheets of smoke streaklines.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Flow Visualization, T. Asanuma, ed., Tokyo, Japan, 257–263.
24.
Olsen, E., and Strindehag, O. (1991). “An investigation of a sonic flowmeter.” J. Wind Engrg. and Indust. Aerodyn., 37, 245–253.
25.
Optics and lasers in engineering. (1988). F. P. Chiang and G. T. Reid, eds., Elsevier, New York, N.Y., 161–325.
26.
Penwarden, A. D., and Wise, A. F. E. (1975). “Wind environment around buildings.” BRE Rep., Building Research Establishment (BRE), HMSO, London, England.
27.
Perry, A. E. (1982). Hot‐wire anemometry. Oxford University Press, New York, N.Y.
28.
Stathopoulos, T., Wu, H., and Bedard, C. (1992). “Wind environment around buildings: a knowledge‐based approach.” J. Wind Engrg. and Indust. Aerodyn., 41–44, 2377–2388.
29.
Uematsu, Y., Yamada, M., Higashiyama, H., and Orimo, T. (1992). “Effects of the corner shape of high‐rise buildings on the pedestrian‐level wind environment with consideration for mean and fluctuating wind speeds.” J. Wind Engrg. and Indust. Aerodyn., 41–44, 2277–2288.
30.
Uematsu, Y., and Yamada, M. (1991). “Application of infrared thermography to the evaluation of pedestrian‐level winds around buildings.” Int. Conf. on Experimental Fluid Mech., Chinese Aerodynamic Research Society, Beijing, China.
31.
Wise, A. F. E., Sexton, D. E., and Lillywhite, M. S. (1965). “Air flow around buildings.” Proc., Urban Plng. Res. Symp., Building Research Station, London, England, 71–91.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 119 • Issue 10 • October 1993
Pages: 1920 - 1936
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 2, 1992
Published online: Oct 1, 1993
Published in print: Oct 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.