Experimental study on wind loading on a complicated group-tower

This paper studied how wind pressures and forces affect rigid sectional models of a complicated group-tower using experimental wind tunnel tests. The group-tower was composed of five separate sub-towers with different diameters and heights. The basic characteristics of the mean and fluctuating wind pressure distributions on typical parts of the sub-towers were analyzed along the heights of each sub-tower, and their distribution trends are discussed. Also, the mean base shear and moment coefficients and their characteristics are presented. The wind pressure and wind force results showed that because the group-tower structure consisted of five separate lofty towers, the mutual aerodynamic interferences were serious; thus, the mean and fluctuating wind pressure, wind force distributions and the mean base shear and moment coefficients were quite complicated.