Wind-Induced Building Interference : Increase of Wind Loads Onexisting Buildings After Erection of New High-Rises

Because cities grow denser nowadays, new buildings more often have adverse effects upon the wind loading on existing buildings. It contributes to this effect that new buildings tend to get higher and higher at the same time. Figure 1 shows how a new building (left) can change the wind loading upon an existing building: the wind is forced around the building corners, thus generating turbulent eddies. Wind loading upon buildings is determined according to Building Codes like the Eurocode or by conducting measurements in boundary layer wind tunnels. It mostly concerns the wind loading upon buildings under design, whereas the effect of existing buildings in the environment is sometimes taken into account as well. This paper will show that the opposite can sometimes be of paramount importance.