Impact of Roof Shape on Pedestrian-Level Wind Speed by Using CFD Modelling

Abstract

The comfort, safety, and usability of urban and outdoor environments are all impacted by pedestrian-level wind (PLW). However, in Malaysia, the wind speed is low. This can lead to discomfort for the pedestrian. Previous studies have investigated the effects of roof shape design on improving pedestrian-level mean wind speed (PLMWS). Thus, this study aims to examine and analyse how different roof shapes affect PLW speed in urban environments. The employed validation process determines the robustness of the simulation. The study shows that the mean wind speed around multiple buildings with wedged roof designs is the highest ratio at PLMWS around the Eco Tropics commercial area. One of the more significant findings from this study is that wedged roof design shows the optimum performance followed by a vaulted roof, gable roof, and flat roof towards PLMWS around multiple buildings with similar heights. Furthermore, the findings showed that the design of the roof shape had an effect on the mean wind speed at pedestrian-level.