Analysis of wind load distribution on various geometrical forms of 3D structures

Reducing research costs has always been a priority for engineers and researchers. The advent of high-performance computers has enabled extensive use of numerical methods, particularly computational fluid dynamics (CFD), in structural wind analysis. In this study, ANSYS Fluent was used to investigate wind load distribution on eleven three-dimensional geometrical configurations with varying apex shapes and diameter distributions. The analyzed geometries include both sharp-apex and flat-apex forms with gradual changes in cross-sectional diameter along the height. A uniform wind direction normal to the front face of the structures (0° incidence angle) was applied, as it represents the most critical loading condition leading to maximum wind pressure on the windward surface. The pressure coefficient variations were evaluated over the entire height of the structures, from the base (0) to the top (h), as well as at different angular positions around the cross-section. Results show that sharp-apex configurations, such as 0–0.5–1 and 0–1–1, exhibit minimum pressure coefficients (maximum suction) of −3.30 and −3.99, respectively, occurring at the apex and at 90° and 270° angular positions. Flat-apex configurations show lower suction values, ranging from −2.15 to −3.02, with the minimum pressure distributed along the structure height rather than at the apex. Maximum pressure coefficients across all configurations ranged from 0.98 to 1 at the windward front, indicating that front-facing pressure is relatively insensitive to geometric variations. These findings highlight the critical influence of apex geometry and cross-sectional variation on wind load distribution, offering key insights for designing aerodynamic and wind-resistant structures.