Platinum Park | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Completion Date: 2009
Project Overview
Platinum Park is a multi-tower development located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Home to residences, offices, retail space, and a luxury hotel, the high-end property is just east of the KLCC green space and the iconic Petronas Towers. Completed in several phases, Platinum Park promises to serve the needs of businesses and residents alike for years to come.
The March 2009 edition of Engineers Australia (EA) featured a profile of CPP’s wind engineering work for the Platinum Park towers. Our thanks to the premier magazine for the wind engineering profession in the Australasian region for their recognition of this work.
Why CPP
CPP helped to test the three primary towers that comprise most of the Platinum Park site: the Menara Felda Tower, the Naza Tower, and the TH Tower. Based on digital plans supplied by the architect and contractor, CPP’s model development team designed and fabricated a 1:300 scale model of each tower as well as all significant existing buildings and structures in a 430 meters (1,400 feet) radius.
When testing the model, our engineers found several areas that warranted closer examination, including a small ‘hot spot’ area on the Naza Tower that would experience a 50-year design pressure as high as 2.75 kPa (nearly 60 pounds per square foot). We also tested the buildings for occupant comfort by using the measured pressure data to predict the maximum accelerations that upper-floor occupants would experience on the windiest of days. Our team found the estimated sway to be well within industry-standard acceptable levels.
CPP was also tasked with determining how the buildings would affect outdoor wind flow patterns and whether ground-level winds would cause discomfort for pedestrians. Based on discussions with the primary contractor and architect, we identified 28 locations on and around the towers at which to measure wind intensities for all approach wind directions.
Using hot-film anemometry and established wind comfort criteria, we found that the wind environment in and around the Platinum Park development would generally be suitable for seated, standing, and walking outdoor users of the space. We did, however, find a handful of windy locations. For these isolated locations, we recommended a full range of wind mitigation strategies that included landscaping and both solid and porous screens.
Also important in a tropical climate is the availability of cooling breezes to enhance outdoor thermal comfort for users of the site. Some stagnant wind flow areas were identified and recommendations provided to encourage natural ventilation to the affected areas. Based on CPP’s understanding of the local wind climate, our detailed analysis of the site, and experience-based interpretation of wind tunnel data, our engineers were able to deliver the results and recommendations that the project contractors needed to ensure that Platinum Park would be safe, comfortable, and efficient from a wind perspective.
