Wind‐Tunnel Techniques for Assessment of Pedestrian‐Level Winds

Abstract

Wind conditions around high‐rise buildings in cities may create serious environmental problems at the pedestrian level. In spite of the progress of computational techniques in wind engineering, wind‐tunnel experiments are still considered to be the most reliable approach for the evaluation of pedestrian‐level winds. A number of techniques have been developed for assessing the mean and turbulent characteristics of the wind regime around buildings near the ground. These techniques can be grouped into two categories: point methods and area methods. This paper reviews the experimental methods and discusses their advantages and limitations with respect to the requirements of pedestrian‐level wind studies. In addition to conventional techniques such as thermal anemometry, pressure sensor, flow visualization and erosion, some newly developed methodologies such as laser‐Doppler anemometry, particle‐image velocimetry, and infrared thermography are described. The selection of the most appropriate experimental methodology for the best assessment of pedestrian‐level wind conditions is discussed in terms of spatial coverage and accuracy.