Spatial correlation of cladding loads
Design wind loads to dimension the façades of tall buildings are desumed from wind tunnel tests on scaled models reproducing the atmospheric boundary layer. The current state-of-the-art is based on some space-time coherence hypothesis. These, however, not always hold true. This can lead to both serious overdimensioning or underdimensioning depending on the case.
In the picture an experimental campaign was performed to study in detail the spatial distribution of the pressure on the cladding. Both time and spatial resolution have been pushed up to the technological limit. The data acquired will help a better understanding of the pressure patterns induced by the wind flows. The aim is to study better codes for the façades design.
Year: 2016
Client: ARUP
Area: Research project