Effects of Interference on Local Peak Pressures Between Two Buildings with an Elliptical Cross-Section

The interference effects on the distribution of external wind pressure coefficient between two high-rise buildings with an elliptical cross section were studied experimentally at the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel (BLWT) at the Faculty of Civil Engineering STU in Bratislava, Slovakia. Various arrangements of models, which were derived from the breadth ratio, were investigated. The peak value of the external wind pressure coefficient for a stand-alone model was measured and compared with the peak value in the case of interference. The measurements showed that the wind loads on buildings in a close vicinity are considerably different from those on a stand-alone building. The interference effects significantly affect negative pressure zones. The optimal and critical arrangements of buildings were evaluated. The elimination of peak negative external wind pressure coefficients can be reduced by half. On the other hand, the interference effects had a strong impact on increasing the peak value of the negative external wind pressure coefficient, which can be more than roughly double compared to an isolated building.