Dependence of surface pressures on a cubic building in tornado like flow on building location and ground roughness

Violent wind vortices and their influence on structures have been an area of research during the past few decades. Effects of these vortices on building structures depend on vortex size relative to building size, relative distance between vortex center and building location, terrain condition and swirl ratio. The present investigation takes into account factors such as building model location with respect to vortex center and terrain condition that influence the surface pressures on a building model cube exposed to a swirl flow by performing a systematic set of laboratory experiments using a Ward-type tornado-like-flow simulator developed at Tokyo Polytechnic University, Japan. The developed vortex was stationary and the effect of translation was not taken into account. The scalar component of velocity was determined at different heights and radii across the simulator floor. Mean and peak pressures acting on the building model cube considering the effect of the above factors is discussed. Salient features of peak pressure coefficients on a building surface occurring under a tornado-like flow regime are also discussed.

► Characterizes the flow field in the tornado-like flow simulator.
► Effect of building model location on mean and peak surface pressures discussed.
► With ground roughness, pressure coefficients decrease on building walls.
► Discusses features of peak pressures on a building under a tornado-flow.