THE IMPACT OF URBAN MORPHOLOGY ON WIND FLOW IN A SEMI-ARID CLIMATE. CASE STUDY: THE OLD CITY OF CONSTANTINE, ALGERIA

Wind flow studies using wind tunnels can be very costly due to their nature and implementation. An alternative method involves using numerical methods, specifically CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), which offers significant time and cost savings, along with quicker and more flexible results for meaningful research outcomes. To conduct this research effectively, two software tools were required: Sketch Up for modeling the various urban morphologies, and the Fluent module of Ansys for simulations, which is recognized by the scientific community. The objective of this study was to provide an evaluation of airflow behavior in three samples of different morphologies within the old city of Constantine, namely: the traditional vernacular fabric (Zone A), the hybrid fabric (Zone B), and the colonial fabric (Zone C), based on a series of CFD simulations. The study aimed to assess the various effects of wind flow and velocity through the different typologies of the old city and identify the resulting aerodynamic effects that impact pedestrian comfort.