Design and demonstration of a sensing network for full-scale wind pressure measurements on buildings

• Published in: Journal of wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics Vol. 250; p. 105760
• Main Authors: Hochschild, John, Gorlé, Catherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Full-scale measurements; Non-Gaussian wind pressures; Non-Gaussian wind pressures; Full-scale measurements
• ISSN: 0167-6105; 1872-8197
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jweia.2024.105760

There is a need for full-scale wind pressure measurements to evaluate the accuracy of peak wind load estimates from wind tunnel measurements, numerical simulations, or building codes. The objective of this study was to design a sensing network for obtaining long-term records of fluctuating wind pressures, and to demonstrate the network’s potential through deployment. A custom data-logger using the BMP388 absolute pressure sensor, which can measure pressure coefficients within ±0.1 at a wind speed of 10 m/s, was designed. The accuracy of the measured statistics was established through comparison with a standard differential sensor in a wind tunnel experiment. A network of 10 motes was deployed on the sloped roof of the 184 m tall Space Needle, obtaining over 1000 h of fluctuating pressure data. The measurements reveal a windward separation region with strong dependency of the approach wind turbulence on the pressure statistics, but positive skewness limits the peak values. The skewness becomes negative near the edge of a second, leeward separation region, resulting in peak factors up to 2.6 times larger than the code-prescribed value of 3.4. The results demonstrate that long-term full-scale measurements provide valuable insight into peak wind pressures and their dependence on approach wind characteristics. •A custom data-logger using an off-the-shelf absolute pressure sensor was designed.•In a first, a network of absolute pressure sensors was installed on a high-rise.•A network of 10 loggers obtained over 1000 h of pressure time series.•The measurements elucidate flow physics and yield insights into peak factor.