Estimation of the Wind Speed in Urban Areas – Height less than 10 Metres

Wind is an important factor that should be considered in the process of urban design. It is particularly important for natural ventilation design as well as providing guidance on heat transfer, the dispersion of air pollution, wind loading and pedestrian exposure.  This article introduces a set of graphs produced by the author to estimate the wind speed around low rise buildings at heights of less than 10 metres above ground level. By applying these graphs the architect is able to easily and rapidly estimate the wind speed for urban terrain for heights below 10 metres without using complex calculation procedures. This therefore allows the transfer of data from meteorological stations, taking into account terrain and the degree of urbanisation.

These graphs are based on the power law formulation of wind profile and are used to convert data from the nearest standard meteorological station. This procedure is aimed at assisting the architect or designer in decision making at the initial design or planning stage of a development.