Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China

Mao, Zhiyuan; Ma, Ke; He, Dong; Guo, Zhenkuan; Zhao, Xuefei; Zhang, Yichuan

doi:10.3390/buildings15172999

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Open AccessArticle

Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China

by

Zhiyuan Mao

^*,

Ke Ma

,

Dong He

,

Zhenkuan Guo

,

Xuefei Zhao

and

Yichuan Zhang

College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Buildings 2025, 15(17), 2999; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15172999 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 25 June 2025 / Revised: 20 August 2025 / Accepted: 22 August 2025 / Published: 23 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Building Structures)

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Abstract

Wind-induced erosion and extreme weather events pose growing risks to the structural integrity of masonry heritage buildings. However, current mitigation approaches often overlook ecological sustainability. This study investigates the wind-regulating effects of vegetation surrounding the Zhen Guo Tower, a 400-year-old masonry structure in Weihui, Henan Province, China. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, we first assess the protective performance of the existing vegetation layout and then develop and evaluate an optimized plant configuration. The results show that the proposed multilayered vegetation arrangement effectively reduces wind speeds by up to 13.57 m/s under extreme wind conditions, particularly within the 5–15 m height range. Wind protection efficiency improved by 28–68% compared to the baseline. This study demonstrates a replicable and ecologically integrated strategy for mitigating wind hazards in masonry heritage sites through vegetation-based interventions.

Keywords: masonry heritage buildings; wind speed regulation; preventive conservation; computational fluid dynamics simulation; vegetation wind protection

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MDPI and ACS Style

Mao, Z.; Ma, K.; He, D.; Guo, Z.; Zhao, X.; Zhang, Y. Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China. Buildings 2025, 15, 2999. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15172999

AMA Style

Mao Z, Ma K, He D, Guo Z, Zhao X, Zhang Y. Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China. Buildings. 2025; 15(17):2999. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15172999

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mao, Zhiyuan, Ke Ma, Dong He, Zhenkuan Guo, Xuefei Zhao, and Yichuan Zhang. 2025. "Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China" Buildings 15, no. 17: 2999. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15172999

APA Style

Mao, Z., Ma, K., He, D., Guo, Z., Zhao, X., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China. Buildings, 15(17), 2999. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15172999

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Optimized Plant Configuration Designs for Wind Damage Prevention in Masonry Heritage Buildings: A Case Study of Zhen Guo Tower in Weihui, Henan, China

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