Terrain Characterisation and Design Wind Profiles for Hong Kong

Abstract

Numerous wind profiles at different locations in Hong Kong have been obtained from topographical model studies undertaken in the CLP Power Wind/Wave Tunnel Facility (WWTF) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The results of these studies confirm that the impact of adjacent buildings and surrounding topography on the site wind profile is noteworthy and support the addition of more representative wind profiles to the current wind code of Hong Kong, Code of Practice on Wind Effects in Hong Kong 2004 (HK Wind Code 2004), so as to more accurately reflect the site wind characteristics in different regions of Hong Kong. Mean wind speed profile and turbulence intensity profile for three terrain categories, namely deep open sea, harbour-front and built-up, are proposed to be adopted in the wind code of Hong Kong. A case study of wind-induced loads on generic tall buildings with a square cross-section and varying heights demonstrated that the proposed wind profiles provide a more accurate estimation of wind-induced loads on the test buildings compared with those determined based on the wind profiles of open sea terrain specified in HK Wind Code 2004.

Keywords:

• Mean Wind Speed Profile
• Turbulence Intensity Profile
• Terrain Category
• Wind Tunnel
• Wind Code