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Title: Wind-induced Ground-surface Pressures Around a Single-Family House

Journal Article · · The Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics

Wind induces a ground-surface pressure field around a building that can substantially affect the flow of soil gas and thereby the entry of radon and other soil-gas contaminants into the building. To quantify the effect of the wind-induced groundsurface pressure field on contaminant entry rates, the mean ground-surface pressure field was experimentally measured in a wind tunnel for several incidence angles of the wind, two atmospheric boundary layers, and two house geometries. The experimentally measured ground-surface pressure fields are compared with those predicted by a k-e turbulence model. Despite the fundamental limitations in applying a k-e model to a system with flow separation, predictions from the numerical simulations were good for the two wind incidence angles tested.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
943442
Report Number(s):
LBL-38435; TRN: US200902%%198
Journal Information:
The Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, Vol. 61, Issue 2/3/2008; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 7/1/1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English