Wind-induced response of a twin-tower structure

With a newly developed multi-force-balance system(MFB), a twin-tower structure was studied for its wind-induced responses. The MFB system allowed the twin towers, which were linked structurally, to be treated as a single structural system with its corresponding modes of vibration involving coupled motions of the two towers. The towers were also studied using a more conventional force balance approach in which each tower was treated as an isolated structure, i.e., as though no structural link existed. Comparison of the results reveals how the wind loads between the towers are redistributed through the structural links and the modal couplings. The results suggest that although the structural links usually have beneficial impacts on wind-induced response, they may also play a negative role if the frequency ratios of pair modes are near 1.0.