Unsteady Flow Structure Interactions of a Gable-roofed Building Model in Tornado-like Winds

An experimental study was conducted to quantify the characteristics of wake vortex and flow structures around a gable-Roof building model as well as the resultant pressure distribution and wind loads (both forces and moments) acting on the test model in tornadolike winds. In addition to measuring the pressure acting on the tested high-rise building model using pressure transducers and wind loads using a high-sensitivity load cell, a digital Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements to quantify the evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures around the test model in tornado-like winds. The measurement results revealed clearly that the evolution of the wake vortex and turbulent flow structures around the test model as well as the resultant wind loads induced by tornado-like winds were significantly different from those in conventional straight-line winds. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the pressure and wind load measurement data to elucidate the underlying physics to gain further insight into the flow-structure interactions between the tested gableroof building model and tornado-like winds.