Characterisation of and wind-induced pressures in a compartmentalised building during a typhoon

A series of experiments was conducted to investigate the behaviour of wind-induced internal pressure in a typical compartmentalised residential building in Hong Kong during the passage of a typhoon. Permeability tests were first conducted to quantify permeability across major leakage paths of the test apartment. Wind-induced external and internal pressures were subsequently measured in test configurations with different internal volumes and different permeability conditions with a dominant windward opening. Mean internal pressures and the resonant frequencies of the fluctuating internal pressures were determined and compared with values predicted from steady-state theory, a Helmholtz resonator and a CFD model. The results showed that the predicted mean internal pressure and the fundamental resonant frequency are in reasonable agreement with the field measurements. Multiple resonant frequencies were also observed in the case of multiple compartments interconnected by internal doorways.