Experimental investigations of interference effects on wind pressures of tall buildings

The interference effects between two tall buildings on building surface wind pressures are studied by using wind tunnel experiments. Different breadth ratios (B_r = B_interfering/B_principal), depth ratios (D_r = D_interfering/D_principal), and relative locations of the two buildings are tested. The results show that the interference effects on mean wind pressures on the windward face and the right face are more considerable than those on the other two faces. The windward face mainly shows the shielding effect, while the right face exhibits the amplification effect. The surface interference factors (SIF) of windward and right faces under different breadth ratios and depth ratios have clear correlation with the reference values (B_r = D_r = 1.0), and a series of correlation formulas are obtained. The SIF values of the windward face in tandem arrangement and the maximum and minimum interference factors of the right face in parallel arrangement are formulated. The most prominent local peak pressure under different cases mainly concentrates in the side edge and upper edge of the windward face, the left upper corner, left lower corner, and the upper-middle part of the right face.