Wind effects on permeable building envelopes: a two-dimensional exploratory study

The present work deals with an exploratory two-dimensional study on systems composed by an open-gap airtight screen and a rectangular section. The aerodynamic interference caused by the presence of the screen has been investigated, trying to understand the role of each potential influencing factor. The effects produced by the concurrent presence of confined (in the cavity behind the screen) and unconfined (around the whole system) flows have been analyzed, in terms of wind induced forces and pressures. Moreover, the possibility of using simplified models to evaluate the internal pressures having the external ones on a section where the cavity has not been reproduced, namely the possible external and internal pressure decoupling, has been considered.