| Wind-driven rain is an important factor in determining the extent of calcareous stone erosion and the patterns of surface soiling on buildings. In this study, both numerical modeling and field measurements have been employed to investigate the effect of wind-driven rain on building walls. The work has been conducted at the Cathedral of Learning, a 42-story Indiana limestone building on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Pittsburgh, PA.; The numerical method utilizes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques and comprises three steps: (a) using the Re-Normalization Group (RNG) k-ϵ model to calculate the airflow field around the building, (b) simulating raindrop trajectories in the flow field by solving the force balance equations, and (c) estimating driving rain fluxes on building walls by combining raindrop trajectory results and meteorological data. To validate the model, wind-driven rain fluxes have been measured at the Cathedral for a 21-month period. Comparison of model estimates and field measurements for 94 rain events show reasonably good agreement, suggesting that the numerical method is effective in predicting driving rain fluxes on building surfaces.; Both model and measurement results show that wind-driven rain is strongly influenced by rainfall intensity, wind speed, wind direction, and building geometry. Qualitative comparisons of the observed soiling patterns with the modeled and measured driving rain fluxes show that white eroded areas on the building surfaces generally receive more driving rain than soiled but less eroded areas. The current soiling patterns are most likely due to the non-uniform distribution of wind-driven rain as a result of long-term trends in wind and rain that interact with the building.; This work will enhance the understanding of processes involved in the erosion of buildings by providing a quantitative tool for studying the impact of wind-driven rain on building surfaces. This tool will be useful for the selection of treatment programs for damaged buildings and monuments as well as designing new structures that will be less vulnerable to deterioration. |
