• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.395-405
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• 2022

Tornado-induced damages to high-rise buildings and low-rise buildings are quite different in nature. Tornado losses to high-rise buildings are generally associated with building envelope failures while tornado-induced damages to low-rise buildings are usually associated with structural or large component failures such as complete collapses, or roofs being torn off. While studies of tornado-induced structural damages tend to focus mainly on low-rise residential buildings, transmission towers, or nuclear power plants, the current rapid expansion of city centers and development of large-scale building complexes increases the risk of tornadoes impacting tall buildings. It is, therefore, important to determine how tornado-induced load affects tall buildings compared with those based on synoptic boundary layer winds. The present study applies an experimentally simulated tornado wind field to the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council (CAARC) building and estimates and compares its pressure coefficient effects against the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) flow field. Simulations are performed at the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment (WindEEE) Dome which is capable of generating both ABL and tornadic winds. A model of the CAARC building at a scale of 1:200 for both ABL and tornado flows was built and equipped with pressure taps. Mean and peak surface pressures for TLV flow are reported and compared with the ABL induced wind for different time-averaging. By following a compatible definition of the pressure coefficients for TLV and ABL fields, the resulting TLV pressure field presents a similar trend to the ABL case. Also, the results show that, for the high-rise building model, the mean and 3-sec peak pressures are larger for the ABL case compared to the TLV case. These results provide a way forward for the code implementation of tornado-induced pressures on high-rise buildings.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.353-370
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• 2014

A new method is proposed in this study for estimating the damping ratio of a super tall building under strong wind loads with short-time measured acceleration signals. This method incorporates two main steps. Firstly, the power spectral density of wind-induced acceleration response is obtained by the wavelet transform, then the dynamic characteristics including the natural frequency and damping ratio for the first vibration mode are estimated by a nonlinear regression analysis on the power spectral density. A numerical simulation illustrated that the damping ratios identified by the wavelet spectrum are superior in precision and stability to those values obtained from Welch's periodogram spectrum. To verify the efficiency of the proposed method, wind-induced acceleration responses of the Guangzhou West Tower (GZWT) measured in the field during Typhoon Usagi, which affected this building on September 22, 2013, were used. The damping ratios identified varied from 0.38% to 0.61% in direction 1 and from 0.22% to 0.59% in direction 2. This information is expected to be of considerable interest and practical use for engineers and researchers involved in the wind-resistant design of super-tall buildings.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.295-320
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• 2014

The characteristics of amplitudes and power spectra of X axial, Y axial, and RZ axial (i.e., body axis) wind forces on a 492 m high-rise building with a section varying along height in typical wind directions are studied via a rigid model wind tunnel test of pressure measurement. Then the corresponding mathematical expressions of power spectra of X axial (across-wind), Y axial (along-wind) and torsional wind forces in $315^{\circ}$ wind directions are proposed. The investigation shows that the mathematical expressions of wind force spectra of the main structure in across-wind and torsional directions can be constructed by the superimposition of an modified wind spectrum function and a peak function caused by turbulent flow and vortex shedding, respectively. While that in along-wind direction can only be constructed by the former and is similar to wind spectrum. Moreover, the fitted parameters of the wind load spectra of each measurement level of altitude are summarized, and the unified parametric results are obtained. The comparisons of the first three order generalized force spectra show that the proposed mathematical expressions accord with the experimental results well.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.155-171
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• 2013

This study analytically evaluated the seismic performance of wind-designed diagrid tall steel buildings in regions of moderate/low seismicity and strong winds. To this end, diagrid tall steel buildings with varying wind exposure and slenderness ratio (building height-to-width ratio) conditions were designed to satisfy the wind serviceability criteria specified in the Korean Building Code and the National Building Code of Canada. A series of seismic analyses were then performed for earthquakes having 43- and 2475- year return periods utilizing the design guidelines of tall buildings. The analyses demonstrated the good seismic performance of these wind-designed diagrid tall steel buildings, which arises because significant overstrength of the diagrid system occurs in the wind design procedure. Also, analysis showed that the elastic seismic design process of diagrid tall steel buildings might be accepted based on some wind exposures and slenderness ratios.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.147-161
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• 2005

Two identical tall building models with square cross-sections are experimentally studied in a wind tunnel with high-frequency-force-balance (HFFB) technique to investigate the interference effects on wind loads and dynamic responses of the interfered building. Another wind tunnel test, in which the interfered model is an aeroelastic one, is also carried out to further study the interference effects. The results from the two kinds of tests are compared with each other. Then the influences of turbulence in oncoming wind on dynamic interference factors are analyzed. At last the artificial neural networks method is used to deal with the experimental data and the along-wind and across-wind dynamic interference factor $IF_{dx}$ & $IF_{dy}$ contour maps are obtained, which could be used as references for wind load codes of buildings.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.557-580
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• 2010

A new inflow turbulence generation method and a combined dynamic SGS model recently developed by the authors were applied to evaluate the wind effects on 508 m high Taipei 101 Tower. Unlike the majority of the past studies on large eddy simulation (LES) of wind effects on tall buildings, the present numerical simulations were conducted for the full-scale tall building with Reynolds number greater than $10^8$. The inflow turbulent flow field was generated based on the new method called discretizing and synthesizing of random flow generation technique (DSRFG) with a prominent feature that the generated wind velocity fluctuations satisfy any target spectrum and target profiles of turbulence intensity and turbulence integral length scale. The new dynamic SGS model takes both advantages of one-equation SGS model and a dynamic production term without test-filtering operation, which is particular suitable to relative coarse grid situations and high Reynolds number flows. The results of comparative investigations with and without generation of inflow turbulence show that: (1) proper simulation of an inflow turbulent field is essential in accurate evaluation of dynamic wind loads on a tall building and the prescribed inflow turbulence characteristics can be adequately imposed on the inflow boundary by the DSRFG method; (2) the DSRFG can generate a large number of random vortex-like patterns in oncoming flow, leading to good agreements of both mean and dynamic forces with wind tunnel test results; (3) The dynamic mechanism of the adopted SGS model behaves adequately in the present LES and its integration with the DSRFG technique can provide satisfactory predictions of the wind effects on the super-tall building.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.61-80
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• 2002

Wind tunnel aeroelastic model tests of the Commonwealth Advisory Aeronautical Research Council (CAARC) standard tall building were conducted using a three-degree-of-freedom base hinged aeroelastic(BHA) model. Experimental investigation into the effects of coupled translational-torsional motion, cross-wind/torsional frequency ratio and eccentricity between centre of mass and centre of stiffness on the wind-induced response characteristics and wind excitation mechanisms was carried out. The wind tunnel test results highlight the significant effects of coupled translational-torsional motion, and eccentricity between centre of mass and centre of stiffness, on both the normalised along-wind and cross-wind acceleration responses for reduced wind velocities ranging from 4 to 20. Coupled translational-torsional motion and eccentricity between centre of mass and centre of stiffness also have significant impacts on the amplitude-dependent effect caused by the vortex resonant process, and the transfer of vibrational energy between the along-wind and cross-wind directions. These resulted in either an increase or decrease of each response component, in particular at reduced wind velocities close to a critical value of 10. In addition, the contribution of vibrational energy from the torsional motion to the cross-wind response of the building model can be greatly amplified by the effect of resonance between the vortex shedding frequency and the torsional natural frequency of the building model.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.235-253
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• 2019

This paper reviews shape optimization studies for tall and super-tall building design. Firstly, shape effects on aerodynamic and response characteristics are introduced and discussed. Effects of various configurations such as corner modifications, taper, setback, openings, and twists are examined. Comprehensive comparative studies on various configurations including polygon building models, and composite type building models such as corner-cut and taper, corner-cut and taper and helical, and so on, are also discussed under the conditions of the same height and volume. Aerodynamic characteristics are improved by increasing the twist angle of helical buildings and increasing the number of sides of polygon buildings, but a twist angle of $180^{\circ}$ and a number of sides of 5 (pentagon) seem to be enough. The majority of examined configurations show better aerodynamic characteristics than straight-square. In particular, composite type buildings and helical polygon buildings show significant improvement. Next, shape effects on pedestrian-level wind characteristics around tall and super-tall buildings are introduced and discussed. Corner modification buildings show significant reductions in speed-up areas. On the other hand, setback and tapered models with wider projected widths near the ground show adverse effects on pedestrian-level wind characteristics.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2014

Seismic and wind load performances of buildings are commonly improved by using bracing systems. In practice, standard bracing systems, such as X, Y, V, and K types are used. To determine the appropriate bracing type, the designer uses trial & error method among the standard bracings to obtain better results. However, using topology optimization yields more efficient bracing systems or new bracing can be developed depending on building and loading types. Determination of optimum bracing type for minimum deformation on a building under the effect of wind load is given in this study. A new bracing system is developed by using topology optimization. Element removal method is used to determine and remove the comparatively inefficient materials. Optimized bracing is compared with proposed bracing types available in the related literature. Maximum deformation value of building is used as performance indicator to compare effectiveness of different bracings to resist wind loads. The proposed bracing, yielded 99%, deformation reduction compared to the unbraced building.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2004

This paper describes a method for developing a multi-degree-of freedom aero-elasto-plastic model of a base-isolated mid-rise building. The horizontal stiffness of isolators is modeled by several tension springs and the vertical support is performed by air pressure from a compressor. A lead damper and a steel damper are modeled by a U-shaped lead line and an aluminum line. With this model, the frequency ratio of torsional vibration to sway vibration, and plastic displacements of isolation materials can be changed easily when needed. The results of isolation material tests and free vibration tests show that this model provides the object performance. The peak displacement factors are about 4.5 regardless of wind speed in wind tunnel tests, but their gust response factor decreases with increment of wind speed.