Characteristics of wind pressure pulse on large-span flat roofs

The wind pressure pulse events, among the most important characteristics of wind pressure fluctuations on large-span flat roofs, were investigated by wind tunnel tests in this paper. Incorporating the formation mechanism of wind pressure pulse events, the peak over threshold method was employed to study properties of this kind of events. The event duration time, the energy contribution, the number of the pulse events, and the distribution of average peak pressure were calculated. Probability density functions of some typical samples in separation region were also given. Results show that the non-Gaussian roof pressure is strong in the flow separation region owing to the wind pressure pulse events. Evaluations of the extreme peak pressures, which can be determined by the peak over threshold method effectively, are important to the design of building cladding.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS OF WHITE FLAT AND RED OR WHITE PITCHED ROOFS FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN ISRAEL

Historically,white flat roofs have been used in Israel due to the intense solar radiation and long,hot,rainless summers.However,red pitched roofs have also been frequently used for aesthetic reasons.It has been recently observed that red pitched roofs have been recolored white by homeowners.The goal of this study was to compare the life cycle assessments(LCAs)of white flat roofs versus red or white pitched roofs through their production(P),operational energy(OE),and maintenance to disposal(MtoD)stages.EnergyPlus software was used to evaluate the OE stage.The ReCiPe method was used to evaluate the environmental damages in all the stages.A two-stage nested ANOVA was used to determine the significant differences between the ReCiPe result of a white flat roof and the ReCiPe result of a red/white pitched roof.It was found that(i)selection of the best roof technology(flat or pitched)requires consideration of the LCA,including the P,OE,and MtoD stages;(ii)the white(flat and pitched)roof was the best technology,while the red pitched roof was the worst technology;and(iii)the combination of the ReCiPe endpoint hierarchical six methodological options method with two-stage nested hierarchical mixed ANOVA is the best approach for assessing the differences related to the LCAs of roof technologies.

Wind tunnel simulation of pollutant dispersion inside street canyons with galleries and multi-level flat roofs

In this study, the pollutant dispersion within street canyons is studied by experiments conducted in an environmental wind tunnel. The vehicular exhaust emissions are modeled using a line source. The pollutant （smoke） concentrations inside the canyons are measured based on a light scattering technique. The pollutant concentrations within the four different street canyons containing the galleries and the three-level flat-roofs under both the isolated and urban environments are obtained and discussed. For each of the four canyon configurations investigated, it is found that there is an obvious discrepancy between the pollutant dispersion patterns under the isolated environment and the urban environment. The three-level fiat roof is found to significantly influence the pollutant distribution pattern in a street canyon. In order to clarify the impacts of the wedge-shaped roofs on the pollutant dispersion inside an urban street canyon of an aspect ratio of 1.0, the pollutant distributions inside urban street canyons of three different wedge-shaped roof combinations are measured and analyzed. It is revealed that the pollutant distribution pattern inside the urban street canyon of an aspect ratio of 1.0 is influenced greatly by the wedge-shaped roof, especially, when an upward wedge-shaped roof is placed on the upstream building of the canyon. Images from this study may be utilized for a rough evaluation of the computational fluid dynamics （CFD） models and for helping architects and urban planners to select the canyon configurations with a minimum negative impact on the local air quality.

Numerical simulation of flows around long-span flat roof

Long-span roof with span larger than height always has a complicated three-dimensional curve. Wind pressure on the roof is often influenced not only by the atmospheric turbulence, but also by the “signature” turbulence provoked in the wind by the structure itself. So it is necessary to study characteristics of flows around the roof. In this paper, three-dimensional numerical simulation of wind-induced pressure has been periormed on a long-span flat roof by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics （CFD） software ——FLUENT. The flow characteristics are studied by considering some parameters, such as wind direction, span-height ratio, roof pitch, flow characteristics, roughness of terrain. The simulation is based upon the Reynolds-averaged equations, in which Reynolds stress equation model （RSM） and SIMPLE technology, （Semi-Implieit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations） have been used. Compared with wind tunnel tests, the computational results have good agreement with the experimental data. It is proved that the results are creditable and the method is feasible.

Study of the wind-pressure distribution of flat-roof parabolic condensers based on wind-tunnel tests

The structure of parabolic condensers makes them susceptible to wind load because of their thin and large windward mirrors.In this paper,the wind pressure on a model of a condenser mirror(1:35)on multistorey flat roofs is analysed via pressure measurement in a wind tunnel.The mean wind-pressure distribution law of flat-roof condenser mirrors(including the change law with working conditions and the maximum distribution characteristics)and the distribution law of fluctuating and extreme wind pressure are obtained.Furthermore,by comparison with the ground-based condenser distribution law,similarities and differences between the two are obtained.Research results show that the wind-pressure distribution law of flat-roof parabolic condenser mirrors is the same as those on the ground,but the mean wind-pressure coefficient(absolute value)is generally~30%smaller.Furthermore,the maximum effect is generally located at the windward mirror edge and the mirror is more susceptible to wind pressure in wind directions of 30°and 135°-150°.The results of this study can provide a theoretical reference for wind-resistant structure design and multistorey flat-roof condenser-related research.

Thermal performance of domed roof in air-conditioned spaces

Due to their thermal performance,domed roofs are one of the passive solutions that affect energy consumption in buildings.The thermal performance of domed roofs has been investigated in many naturally ventilated spaces.However,few studies have discussed their performance in conditioned spaces.Therefore,this study introduces a computational comparison between domed and flat roofs to investigate their impact on thermal comfort inside a conditioned mosque.At an earlier stage,field measurements were carried out inside a Bahraini mosque to acquire its indoor air conditions during the summer period of 2021,in addition to validating the computational model.The findings of this study confirm that,under mechanical cooling conditions,the flat roof offers a lower indoor temperature than the domed roof by 0.4℃and 0.1℃for open and closed doors,respectively.Similarly,the air velocity is lower by approximately 0.01 m/s for both door modes.The overall PMV values of the flat roof are also lower by 0.07 and 0.01,while the PPD values are lower by 0.20,and 0.34 for open and closed doors,respectively.Based on these small differences,it can be concluded that the thermal performance of both roofing systems behaves equally in conditioned spaces.However,the air patterns are substantially different,the overall thermal performance is similar.This similarity drives building designers to rethink the thermal performance of the domed roofs in air-conditioned spaces with such a hot climate,regardless of their aesthetic and acoustical behaviour.