Numerical and experimental investigation of wind effects on pyramidal domes

Pyramidal domes are a type of roof covering that can have various numbers of faces. Since most of these domes are constructed from lightweight structures, such as space frames, accurately calculating the wind load the primary lateral load for this structure type is essential. Due to the absence of wind pressure coefficients for this structure type in standard design codes, either numerical modeling or wind tunnel testing must be used to calculate wind loads. This study explores wind tunnel models at four height-to-span ratios (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1) for six-sided and eight-sided domes. Additionally, 6-, 8-, and 12-sided domes are modeled using ANSYS based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Results show that, when the protrusions of the sectors are positioned at angles between 60° and 90°, negative pressure coefficients increase locally in these areas. Furthermore, the study presents equations for the pressure coefficients of these domes through modeling of conical domes.