Computational study of the effect of trees on wind flow over a building

Abstract

A computational study was performed to investigate the effect of varying upwind tree heights on the wind flow over a 15-m high, flat-roof building. It is shown that trees can have a significant effect on the mean wind speed and turbulence over the roof and should be included when performing a computational fluid dynamics simulation. The calculations also provide guidance for undertaking wind tunnel experiments on simulated trees and buildings to investigate their interaction. The effect of the trees on the mean wind speed above the roof was not a monotonic function of ratio of tree-to-building height. Further, the trees reduced the level of turbulence over the roof. The study also confirmed that the production of turbulent kinetic energy by the trees and its subsequent advection over the building are the main causes of the modified flow.