Stack Effect in High-Rise Buildings: A Review

This technical paper presents a detailed review of the stack effect phenomenon and of the associated implications pertaining to the design and construction of high-rise buildings in regions of extreme climatic conditions. The present review is focused on both the classical 'chimney' effect as well as on the reverse stack effect, which are respectively related to cold and hot climates. For the purposed of the work here presented, the ASHRAE (2013) design conditions of Astana (Kazakhstan) and Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) were selected. A 230 m tall residential building of rectangular floor plan was numerically modelled in the context of the climatic conditions of the two abovementioned cities and a number of sensitivity analyses were performed, covering parametric changes of: temperature, facade air tightness, site wind speeds and wind directions.