A Study of Self-Similarity in Turbulence Measured at an Urban Site

Abstract

The self-similarity concept has proved useful in describing turbulence for aircraft design purposes. There is an increasing awareness of the interaction of the turbulent planetary boundary layer and buildings and structures. The aeronautical engineering approach could be extended to civil engineering design problems. Wind data from a 118 m tower at an urban site in Melbourne are used to test the appropriateness of the ?self-similar? approach. A reasonable model for the site was devised, and it is conjectured that this may form the basis for a ?discrete gust? scheme to allow for aerodynamic interactions in the planetary boundary layer.