Experimental Study on the Characteristics of Wind-Induced Snow Distribution on Structures with Openings

Under the action of wind, snow particles can accumulate unevenly on and around the surface of a structure, which can affect structural stability. In this study, cuboid-horizontal and cuboid-vertical structures were taken as research objects, and a wind tunnel test method was used to investigate the effect of the size and position (height) of an opening on snow distribution on and around the surface of a single-opening cuboid, as well as the effect of the relative position of a double-opening cuboid. A roughness coefficient (JRC) was used to describe the characteristics of snow cover around the cuboids. The snow distribution on and around the structure was symmetric along the wind direction. Therefore, the test points of Cs on the central axis of the surface and the Cs and JRC on the longitudinal axis were analyzed. The results indicate that the snow depth coefficient (Cs) and JRC of the cuboid-horizontal structure were somewhat negatively correlated with the size of the opening. The Cs and JRC of the cuboid-vertical structure were somewhat negatively correlated with the height of the opening. When the openings were at the windward and leeward sides, the particle depths at the edge of the side elevation and the leeward region were greater and the particle distribution was uneven. The combination of the Cs and JRC can more comprehensively describe the snow distribution characteristics and reflect the symmetric relationship, which provides a theoretical basis for the prediction of snow cover evolution characteristics.