The Impact of Ground-Floor Elevation of School Buildings on Courtyard Wind Environment

Abstract

Poor wind conditions in metropolitan areas can result in inadequate ventilation and degradation of the thermal environment. Several researches have demonstrated that the building ground floor elevation (BGFE) enhances the wind conditions surrounding buildings. Further investigation is required to thoroughly examine the BGFE’s impact on the wind conditions in the courtyard area. We researched how the various overhead placements affect the ventilation of a U-shaped school building’s courtyard space in different wind directions. We performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation experiments on 93 overhead scenarios based on field measurements and validation. The statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the BGFE had significant effects on reducing the mean air age (p p p p p p p < 0.05). The BGFE facilitates the entry of fresh air and offers even ventilation while significantly reducing wind speed. Choose sites C and D to enhance the U-shaped courtyard’s ventilation and avoid locations B and E. This paper’s findings provide theoretical guidance for designing the elevation of courtyard space from a ventilation perspective and for the green rehabilitation of existing buildings.

Keywords

• elevation
• wind environment
• ventilation
• courtyard
• school building