Effects of grid curtains on the wind loads of a high‐rise building

Summary The effects of grid curtains on the local and overall wind loads of a high-rise building are investigated in detail according to a series of wind pressure and wind force tests on rigid model in a wind tunnel. The effects of grid curtains on the mean and fluctuating wind pressures on windward and sideward walls when the wind direction is parallel to the geometrical axes are investigated, along with the effects of the most unfavorable wind pressures for all wind directions. Furthermore, the effects of grid curtains on the mean and fluctuating aerodynamic forces on the entire building are also analyzed for various wind directions, along with the effects of grid curtains on the aerodynamic force spectra when the wind direction is parallel to the geometric axes. The test results indicate that grid curtains affect the mean and fluctuating windward pressure slightly but greatly influence the large sideward negative pressures. Grid curtains increase the mean and fluctuating windward aerodynamic forces and reduce the fluctuating aerodynamic torsions. According to the aerodynamic force spectra, grid curtains can mainly affect the wind forces in the low-frequency range. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.