Whether you’re designing a new building or planning a whole urban area in a sprawling cityscape, evaluating wind comfort at pedestrian level is imperative for your project’s success and safety. Our Master Planning webinar will show you how to use SimScale’s new GPU-based LBM solver providing a unique combination of speed and accuracy in delivering your results. In addition, you will find out how to access and simulate your design easily via a web browser. Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simscale-gmbh/ And subscribe to our YouTube for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIi21t-7PVPNECXeAS0z7pw

1. PEDESTRIAN WIND COMFORT
FOR MASTER PLANNING
DAVID HEINY

2. DAVID HEINY
Co-Founder and Chief Executive
Officer at SimScale GmbH

3. 1. Benefits of Using Simulation
2. Introduction to SimScale
3. Today's Topic // TBU
4. Live Demonstration
5. Results Summary
6. Q & A

8. ACCELERATE YOUR
DESIGN PROCESS
Easily test performance, optimize
durability or improve design efficiency
with cloud-based simulation.

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10. PEDESTRIAN WIND COMFORT FOR MASTER PLANNING
OVERVIEW
Whether you’re designing a new building or
planning a whole urban cityscape, the
construction of a building creates
environmental changes within its area.
These changes can be favourable or the
opposite for the pedestrians walking in a
building’s vicinity.

11. PEDESTRIAN WIND COMFORT FOR MASTER PLANNING
OVERVIEW
Reports* show the different outcomes in
regards to pedestrian wind comfort :
● Shops untenanted
● Personal injury
● Venturi-effect in passages
● Wind-blocking
* http://www.urbanphysics.net/windcomfort.htm

12. WIND EFFECTS ON THE COMFORT AND SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS
Source: euronews.com

13. THE BEAUFORT WIND FORCE SCALE
Strength (Bf) Description Wind speed at 1.75m above
ground (m/s)
Effects
0 - 1 Quiet, very light breeze 0 - 1 Quiet, no sensible wind.
2 Light breeze 2.4 - 3.8 The wind is felt on the face, leaves rustle.
3 Gentle breeze 3.9 - 5.5 The hair is shaken, leaves and twigs are in constant motion;
light flags extended.
4 Moderate breeze 5.6 - 7.5 Raises dust and loose paper; small branches moved.
5 Fresh breeze 7.6 - 9.7 Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on
inland waters.
6 Strong breeze 9.8 - 12 Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telegraph wires;
umbrellas used with difficulty.
7 High wind,
moderate/near gale,
12.1 - 14.5 Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking
against the wind.
8 Gale,
fresh gale
14.6 - 17.1 Twigs break off trees; generally impedes progress.

14. PEDESTRIAN WIND COMFORT FOR MASTER PLANNING
OVERVIEW
Today, buildings with high impact (i.e.,
skyscrapers) must be thoroughly
analyzed before construction can begin.
These analyses include CFD simulations,
as well as ensuring that the planned
future construction complies with the
legal requirements in order to be built.

15. LATTICE BOLTZMANN METHODS
Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM)
are meshless CFD algorithms which
use collision theories to predict the
fluid behavior.
Some advantages are:
● Less computational time
● Less computational power
● Simple and easy procedure
● Meshless (complex geometries)
● Transient phenomena

16. CAD IMPORT
Upload your CAD model
or import it from other cloud
services into SimScale.
SIMULATION SETUP
All steps to define and run
a simulation are done
within SimScale.
DESIGN DECISION
Use the simulation insights
to make better and faster
design decisions.
1 2 3

17. OUR CASE: THE CENTRAL PARK TOWER
OBJECTIVES
● Simulate how the Central Park
Tower affects its surroundings
● Detect windy areas in the
vicinities where discomfort can
be caused
● Become familiar with LBM in
SimScale and how the platform
can help determine pedestrian
wind comfortSource: https://newatlas.com/as-gg-central-park-tower/56825/

18. ● Height: 472m
● 130 floors
● Construction still
ongoing (scheduled
to finish in 2020)
Source: http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/central-park-tower/14269
OUR CASE: THE CENTRAL PARK TOWER

19. THE CAD MODEL
A CAD model of the Central Park
Tower and its surroundings was
created.
This model can be directly imported
into SimScale. Since LBM is meshless,
a deep cleaning is not needed.

20. THE CAD MODEL
Different refinement levels were
created:
● High refinement for the tower
● Medium refinement for its
vicinities
● Low refinement for the places
further

21. ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER
The freestream velocity profile was
calculated following a logarithmic
law.
This atmospheric boundary layer
wind profile is typically used in
simulations of the lower portion of the
atmosphere.
@ z=10m, v=8 m/s
@ z=100m, v=13 m/s
● The log freestream velocity
profile used corresponds to a
day with moderate wind (low
velocities and larger BL
thickness)

22. ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER
● The wind direction has been
chosen based on the prevailing
winds in Central Park.
● Results on side boundaries will
be ignored, since there are more
buildings which have not been
included.
CENTRAL
PARK
TOWER
WIND
DIRECTION

24. SIMULATION RUN: TRANSIENT STATE
We can detect “hot spots” where wind
is going to have a bigger impact.
Some areas keep a high wind
velocity along the simulation
Other points get calm and
smooth wind
Velocity fields at z=1.75m

25. VORTICES AND LOW PRESSURE AREAS: LAST TIME STEP
These “hotspots” can be identified
easily by freezing the last time-step of
the previous simulation.
We can also have a static view of the
velocity vector field.

26. VORTICES AND LOW PRESSURE AREAS: LAST TIME STEP
● Vortices and low pressure areas
will be prone to receive dust and
residues.
● Also, smoke from exhaust pipes
and other sources will be more
concentrated in these zones.

27. VORTICES AND LOW PRESSURE AREAS
● A deeper look on the passages
show recirculation inside.
● Corners also create low
pressure areas behind them.

28. WIND LEVELS
● The complete fluid domain was
evaluated.
● We are also able to see how
wind impacts at different
heights.
● Effect on windows, ventilation
systems, external fans...

29. SUMMARY
● With SimScale, we are able to carry out a
complete pedestrian wind comfort CFD
study.
● Complex CAD geometries can be tested
using LBM.
● We can identify different aspects which
can have an impact on comfort: high wind
spots, high vorticity areas, etc.
● These features can help to optimize and
improve urban spaces.