Aerodynamic forces on a tall building in a turbulent boundary layer

The model studies were designed to obtain information concerning wind loads on a tall building by placing the model in a turbulent shear flow simulating expected atmospheric boundary-layer winds. Since current design codes are inadequate for predicting all possible motions of tall buildings, it is important that better knowledge of mean and fluctuating loadings and their distributions becomes available. Experiments were conducted to determine the mean and fluctuating forces and twisting moments at several levels over the surface of a model. By determining the effects at several levels simultaneously, it was possible to correlate forces and moments at five levels with one common level. A single model was tested at varying orientations. Tests were also conducted with an identical model placed upstream so that its wake influenced the flow around the instrumented model. Results are presented in terms of distributions of force and moment coefficients and correlations at different levels. The spectral character of the force and moment components is illustrated for one case. Paper was presented at 1977 SESA Spring Meeting held in Dallas, TX on May 15–20.