© 2014, Bert Blocken, Eindhoven University of Technology.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means without the prior written permission of the author.
MODULE QUESTION
Which quantity would be best to describe wind danger around buildings? (Note: U is
mean wind speed, u is rms value)
A) U
B) U  σu
C) U  3σ u
D) None of the above
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR MODULE 3

At the end of this module, you will:

• Understand the difference between wind effects, wind discomfort and wind danger
• Understand how high-rise buildings can cause wind effects, discomfort and danger
• Understand how to assess wind discomfort and wind danger
High-rise buildings in an atmospheric boundary layer wind-flow pattern tend to deviate
wind flow down to pedestrian level. This is a large mass of air and of high speed.

 amplified wind speed at

pedestrian level.
MOVIE 1: PEDESTRIAN-LEVEL WIND CONDITIONS

(From: UrbanVillas, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuEMUkBELN0)

MOVIE 2: PEDESTRIAN-LEVEL WIND CONDITIONS

(From: Derbydanx (2010), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBLt6Kd9EY)

MOVIE 2: PEDESTRIAN-LEVEL WIND CONDITIONS

(From: Derbydanx (2010), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBLt6Kd9EY)

Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Importance

• Research by the Flemish Institute for Health Care (November 2004) has indicated that
falling is the major cause of death for + 75-year old people.

• In approximately 50% of the cases, falling causes injuries.

• The injury that most often leads to death is hip fracture.

Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Importance

• Lawson & Penwarden (1975): two old ladies died after being blown over near a high-
rise building due to skull fracture.

• Wise (1970): shops that are left untenanted because of windy environment

• Uncomfortable wind conditions are detrimental for the success of (new) buildings.
• Today, for high-rise buildings, many urban authorities require wind comfort studies
(by means of wind tunnel or CFD) before a building permit is granted.
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Wind effects versus wind discomfort and wind danger
Extended Land Beaufort Scale with indication of wind effects
Wind discomfort and wind danger

Discomfort threshold wind speed + Maximum allowed exceedance probability

Example:

{
Ue  U  σu  6 m/s
For wind comfort:
(22 km/h)
Pmax  10 %

{
U  3σu  15 m/s (54 km/h)
For wind danger: U  3σu  20 m/s (72 km/h)
Pmax  1%
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Causes
 Building aerodynamics: high-rise buildings create high wind speed at ground level.

Standing vortex
Corner streams
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Causes
 Building aerodynamics: high-rise buildings create high wind speed at ground level.

Pressure short-
circuiting
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Methodology
1) Statistical meteorological data
2) Aerodynamic information
3) A suitable comfort criterion
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Statistical meteorological data
• Typically 30 years
• Potential wind speed and wind direction (y0 = 0.03 m)
• Weibull distribution (fitting the parameters)
  U THR, pot  k θ  
Pθ U pot  U THR, pot   100  Aθ  exp    
  cθ   
8
probability (%)

0
0 5 10 15 20
Uthr,pot
 Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Aerodynamic information
Definition of the wind amplification factor  :
U U U0
γ   
U pot U 0 U pot

Terrain related contribution Design related contribution

meteorological
site terrain building site
z0,1 = 0.03 m z0,2 > 0.03 m z0,loc
5 - 10 km

z0 = z0,1 z0 = z0,2

Upot U0 U
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Aerodynamic information
Design-related contribution

 By wind-tunnel testing or CFD

Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Aerodynamic information
Terrain-related contribution

}
u *meteo  z   10 m 
U meteo z   ln  u *city  ln 
κ  z 0, meteo  U city z  10 m   z 0,city 
  U 10
 
 
U pot U meteo z  10 m   10 m 
u *city
 z  u *meteo  ln 
U city z   ln  z
 0, meteo 

κ  z 0,city 
 
meteorological 0.0706
site terrain building site u *city  z 0,city 
z0,1 = 0.03 m z0,2 > 0.03 m z0,loc   
u *meteo  z 0, meteo 
5 - 10 km  
Simiu & Scanlan (1986)
z0 = z0,1 z0 = z0,2

Upot U0 U
Wind discomfort and wind danger around buildings
Suitable comfort criterion
• Many criteria exist / Generally, no experimental basis, contrasting criteria
• Good comparison work: Bottema (PhD 1993 TU/e)
Based on the comparison work and after adding appropriate modifications:

{
Ue  U  σu  6 m/s
For wind comfort:
(22 km/h)
Pmax  10 %

{
U  3σu  15 m/s (54 km/h)
For wind danger: U  3σu  20 m/s (72 km/h)
Pmax  1%
Dutch Standard for Wind Comfort and Wind Danger in the Built Environment
Dutch Standard for Wind Comfort and Wind Danger in the Built Environment
• First standard on this topic in the world
• Based on extensive research work by Willemsen and Wisse (2002, 2007), Wisse and
Willemsen (2003), Verkaik (2006) and Wisse et al. (2007)

Goals:
• Uniform procedure of assessment of wind comfort and wind danger throughout the
Netherlands
• Uniform criteria for wind comfort and wind danger
• Uniform transformation of wind statistics (terrain-related contribution)
• Quality assurance for both wind-tunnel testing and CFD (who are treated as equals in
this standard!)
Dutch Standard for Wind Comfort and Wind Danger in the Built Environment
Criteria for wind comfort

Note: addition of “moderate” as a class

Dutch Standard for Wind Comfort and Wind Danger in the Built Environment
Criteria for wind danger
MODULE QUESTION
Which quantity would be best to describe wind danger around buildings? (Note: U is
mean wind speed, u is rms value)
A) U
B) U  σu
C) U  3σ u
D) None of the above
In this module, we have learned about:

• The difference between wind effects, wind discomfort and wind danger
• How high-rise buildings can cause wind effects, discomfort and danger
• How to assess wind discomfort and wind danger
In the next module, we will focus on:

• How the assessment of wind comfort and wind danger is performed based on CFD
in a complex case study.
• What remedial measures can be applied in building projects in order to improve
pedestrian-level wind comfort and wind safety.