Shielding effects on wind force correlations and quasi-static wind load combinations for low-rise building in large group

Systematic wind pressure measurements were conducted in order to investigate the effect of a large group of surrounding buildings on wind pressures on a typical low-rise building. The primary purpose of the present work was to understand the characteristics of wind force correlations and quasi-static wind load combinations of a target model in a large group. Fluctuating pressures were integrated over the surfaces and results were obtained of along-wind force, across-wind force, uplift force, along-wind overturning moment, across-wind overturning moment and torsional moment. First, the characteristics of wind force correlations including the force coefficients, phase-plane expression and cross-correlation coefficients were investigated for an isolated model and for a target model in a large group. Then, in order to directly check the wind load combination effects, peak normal stresses in columns of a simple frame model were examined. Next, a shielding factor of a combination factor was proposed in the form of an exponential function.