LAUSR

AbstractThe computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is widely used today for determining the wind action on structures. Along with the CFD method the wind tunnel experiments are also employed to achieve this purpose. The cost and effort required for a wind tunnel test, however, is much higher than that of the CFD method; therefore, it is beneficial to extend and validate the use of CFD method to various classes and types of structures. This paper firstly compares the results of CFD method with the results of three series of wind tunnel tests available in the literature. Then, numerically the effect of structural flexibility and the neighbourhood of the objects on the wind pressure distribution coefficients are studied. Two and three half spheres are arranged sequentially and transversally. According to the CFD analysis, at a clear distance greater than 2.5 times the diameter of the (obstructing) dome, the wind dynamic interference effects on the reference hemisphere are diminished.