Airflow over low-sloped gable roof buildings: Wind tunnel experiment and CFD simulations

In this study, the impact of roof slope on the flow characteristics over low-sloped gable roofs was investigated using steady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations based on a k-ω SST turbulence model. A measurement database of the flow field over a scaled model of 15° was created using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Sensitivity analyses for the grid resolutions and turbulence models were performed. Among the three common Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS) models, the k-ω SST model exhibited a better performance, followed by the RNG model and then the realizable k- model. Next, the flow properties over the differently sloped (0° to 25°) building models were determined. It was found that the effect of roof slope on the flow characteristics was identified by changing the position and size of the separation bubbles, 15° was found to be approximately the sensitive slope at which the distribution of the separation bubbles changed significantly. Additionally, it is suggested additional attention focused on the distributions of the negative pressure on the windward surfaces (especially 5° and 10° roofs) and the possible snow redistribution on the leeward surfaces.