Along-Wind Aerodynamic Forces on a Rectangular Plan Building in Vicinity of a Gently Sloped Two-Dimensional Hill

Abstract

Many engineering applications, such as wind energy distribution for optimum site selection for wind farms, pollutant dispersion, forest fire propagation and wind loads on structures in hilly terrains require a thorough understanding of the wind flow. The assessment of wind loads on buildings and structures located on exposed hill sites is a key application for understanding the effect of topography. This paper presents a wind tunnel investigation of along-wind aerodynamic forces on a rectangular plan building located near and on top of a gently sloped sinusoidal hill. The hill model has a slope equal to 15° and extends fully across the width of the wind tunnel in the direction perpendicular to the wind flow. A force measurement study is carried out on a rectangular plan rigid building model, which is placed near and on top of the hill at a total of 17 successive locations. Results measured include along-wind base shear forces and base moments. It is observed that the along-wind force gradually increases, as the building is moving closer towards the crest. The maximum along-wind base shear force for the building is reported just upstream of the crest. Increased along-wind base moment for the building up to a factor of 4.0 is observed at the crest. This paper is expected to be of great help to structural engineers for designing buildings in hilly terrains.