Mean horizontal wind profiles measured in the atmospheric boundary layer about a simulated block building

Instrumented wind towers are used to measure the three components of wind about a simulated block building. The mean horizontal wind profiles over the building are compared with wind profiles measured in the absence of the building and the wind speed deficit in the wake of the building is correlated.Horizontal mean wind speeds measured in the natural atmospheric boundary layer with and without the presence of a simulated building show excellent reproducibility and agreement with fundamental concepts of fluid mechanics. The data possess all the characteristic features reported from wind-tunnel studies of building flows. In the present study the turbulence intensity is of the order of 20% in the undisturbed flow whereas the free stream turbulence intensity of wind-tunnel studies is generally not more than 5%. The effect of smaller averaging periods and the structure of the turbulence will be reported at a later time.The velocity profiles measured in the undisturbed flow zones support the representation of a neutrally stable atmospheric boundary layer with a logarithmic wind profile.