Interference effect of industrial buildings on the buffeting wind loading of slender chimneys

Abstract

Chimneys are especially sensitive to wind actions. Sometimes, the proximity of industrial buildings to the chimney is used to support it at the top of the building. The presence of the building disturbs the wind flow that acts on the industrial chimney. This alteration is known as interference effect. The Eurocode EN 1991-1-4 is not applicable if a chimney is supported at the roof of the power house, specifically for the calculation of the structural factor cs cd. The effect of interference between industrial building-chimney is not addressed in the Eurocode. Wind tunnel tests have been carried out to study the interference effect of the industrial building on the buffeting response of slender structures. The alteration of the wind structure due the interference effect has been measured and numerical simulations using the measured data have been done. The reactions of the chimney due to this effect can increase up to 14%.