Wind-Induced Pressure Distribution of Nonrectangular Shaped Low-Rise Buildings

Extreme wind events are responsible for significant human and economic losses, with low-rise buildings particularly affected during such events. The current wind load provisions are based on wind tunnel tests of rectangular building models conducted over the past four decades. However, modern buildings have evolved into complex plan shapes that are often hardly represented by simplified shapes in existing provisions. This study investigated the pressure distribution around buildings with nonrectangular plans. Seven models were constructed and tested in a large wind tunnel under simulated atmospheric boundary-layer conditions. The results indicate that the wall and roof pressure distributions can vary significantly from those of rectangular buildings. Owing to the increased number and complexity of corners, more separation zones are formed, leading to a higher likelihood of multiple simultaneous suction zones. A comparison with current wind provisions also revealed that, in several cases, the local and area-averaged pressures exceeded the recommended design guidelines. Further research is essential to develop a wind load database that encompasses a wider variety of building shapes and ultimately establishes nonrectangular building wind design guidelines.