Sustainable design using computational fluid dynamics in the built environment a case study
- 1. Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering 2017/2/19 92 *Corresponding author: jennifer.keenahan@ucd.ie Sustainable Design using Computational Fluid Dynamics in the Built Environment – A Case Study http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.19.2.17991 Jennifer Keenahan* Arup, 50 Ringsend Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4, Ireland and University College Dublin Newstead, Belfield, Dublin 4 Reamonn MacReamoinn, Cristina Paduano Arup, 50 Ringsend Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4, Ireland Received 2017/04/19 Accepted after revision 2017/05/30 Journal of Sustainable Architecture and Civil Engineering Vol. 2 / No. 19 / 2017 pp. 92-103 DOI 10.5755/j01.sace.19.2.17991 © Kaunas University of Technology Sustainable Design using Computational Fluid Dynamics in the Built Environment – A Case Study JSACE 2/19 In recent years, end users have become more concerned with the human experience and the personal comfort of the individual is becoming more important in the design of the built environment. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool that permits assessment of personal comfort. CFD is a stream of fluid mechanics that utilises numerical methods to analyse and solve problems involving fluid flows. While research applications of CFD are developing, as is the use of CFD in the aerospace and Formula1 industries, the use of CFD in Civil Engineering applications is currently at the cutting edge. This paper will investigate the use of computational fluid dynamics as a complementary approach to wind tunnel testing for pedestrian comfort. The results showcased here were determined through a consultancy project by the team at Arup, Dublin. On determining potential wind problems, mitigation measures were proposed and tested in CFD to prove that the mitigation measures were effective. These proposed changes were incorporated into the final design and as a result planning permission was awarded for the development. This work is exemplar of how, from the very conception of the project design, new technological advances lead to a better built and sustainable environment for all. Keywords: Built Environment, CFD, Pedestrian Comfort, Wind, Wind Tunnel Test. The design of urban environments ought to focus on the effects of the design on the outdoor built environment, in addition to focusing on the envelope of the building and on the quality of the indoor environment. To date, the outdoor built environment has received relatively little attention by de- signers, particularly with respect to wind. The negative effects of windy environments were first dis- cussed by Wise (1970) who noted the presence of vacant shops where shoppers were discouraged due to the windy environment. Separately, Lawson and Penwarden (1975) noted the deaths of two elderly ladies who were victims of windy gusts near a high-rise building. It is evident that the risks and consequences of unfavorable wind environments for pedestrians cannot be overstated. The main source of pedestrian discomfort is related to the force of the wind felt on their body and their clothing as additional effort is required to negotiate the wind. The Beaufort scale was the first empirical measure that related wind speed to observed conditions, it has been presented and incorporated in wind comfort studies by (Penwardon, 1973 and Soligo et al., 1998). Other authors (Penwardon et al., 1975 and Murakami and Deguchi, 1981) propose threshold wind ve- Introduction