Practice Note for Authorized Persons Buildings Department and Registered Structoral Engiucers ‘Wind Tunnel Testing of Buildings Although the Code of Practice for Wind Effects gives general methods for the wind loads to be used in the structural design of buildings. it does not apply to 128 of unusual geometrical shape, dynamically wind-sensitive or at locations where the local topography significantly affects the wind conditions. In such cases, properly conducted wind tunnel tests are recommended for the determination of wind loads on these buildings. 2 ‘Wind tunnel tests for the determination of wind Toads on statie structures should be properly conducted and comply with the following provisions : (a) the natural wind has been modelled in a boundary layer wind tunnel to account for the variation of mean wind velocity and of turbulence intensity. with height above ground, appropriate to the terrain of the site: (b) the response characteristics of the wind tunne! instrumentation. are consistent with the measurements to be made: (©) due regard is given to the dependence of forces and pressures ‘on the Reynolds number: and (4) the measurements yield the expected maximum wind loads on the building, commensurate with the requirements stipulated in the Building (Construction) Regulation 18 and the wind ‘velocity implied in the Code of Practice for Wind Lffects. 3. Wind tunnel tests for the determination of response of | dymamie structures should satisfy the provisions (a) to (d) above and, in addition, the structural model should be represented (physically or mathematically) in mass distribution, stiffness and clamping in accordance with the established law of dimensional scaling, 4 For a building to be erceted at a particular site which is significantly influenced by the local topography or the surrounding buildings, the topography of the site and the effects of the surrounding buildings should be modelled. Where particular adjoining orsurrounding buildings could significantly influence the local wind regime, the effvets of their possible removal should also be considered. 15. Tocnable5 To enable the Building Authority to consider fully the testing proposal, authorized persons (APs)fregistered structural engineers (RSES) are advised to submit a method statement ofthe wind tunnel study to prove its acceptability, before structural plans are submitted for approval, ‘The method statement should contain the procedure on ‘modelling and measurement and the methodology for analysis and prediction of winel effects ‘on the building 6. Recommended values which will meet the provisions of wind tunnel tests and publications are given in Appendix A to assist APs and RSEs in considering the technical aspects, (Helen € P Lai YU) Building Authority issued December 1991 (G “This revision June 1994 (AD/SE) Index under : Wind Tunnel PestingPNAP 150 Appendix A Recommended Values for Wind Tunnel Modelling @ ib) Power law approximations can be used for the variation of mean wind velocity and of turbulence intensity in the simulation of natural wind. ‘The recommended values are : (General Terrain Power exponent for mean wind velocity = 0.19 Power exponent for turbulence intensity 0.26 Gradient height 200m Reference turbulence intensity at 75 m height 0.10 (i) Built-up Terrain Power exponent for mean wind velocity 0.33 Power exponent for turbulence intensity 04 Gradient height 300m Zero plane displacement 25m Reference turbulence intensity at 75 m above zero plane O18 graphy effects are particularly important, the figures above may require adjustment. In such case site-specific studies of wind speeds and tubu! propettics to establish the wind profile are recommended, nee For the determination of local pressures, a gust duration of 1 second is recommended and thus the wind tunnel instrumentation should be able to measure fluctuations shorter than a period t,, where linear ratio of model to full-scale tq) = T second x velocity ratio of model to full-scale (©) For general situations. geometrical length scale ofthe mode greater than 1:500 and ‘velocity scale grcater than 1:10 is recommended. For shapes sensitive to Reynolds umber. such scales may not be sufficient and the method statement should address the spc Sealing reguiremen (€) The S0-year tum mean hourly gradient velocity implied inthe Code is 64 mvs. Publications on Technical Aspects of Wind Tunnel Tests (9) NJ. Cook. "The Designers Guide to Wind Loading of Building Swuctres’. Building Research Establishment Report. Butteeworts, London, Part 118% and Part 2:1900, (b) "ASCE Manval on Engineering Practice No. 67 - Wind Tunnel Model Staies of uiings and Structures". ASCE, New York, 1987.