• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.427-443
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• 2023

Across the globe, rapid urbanization demands the construction of basements for car parking and sub way station within the vicinity of high-rise buildings supported on piled raft foundations. As a consequence, ground movements caused by such excavations could interfere with the serviceability of the building and the piled raft as well. Hence, the prediction of the building responses to the adjacent excavations is of utmost importance. This study used three-dimensional numerical modelling to capture the effects of twin excavations (final depth of each excavation, H_e=24 m) on a 20-storey building resting on (4×4) piled raft. Because the considered structure, pile foundation, and soil deposit are three-dimensional in nature, the adopted three-dimensional numerical modelling can provide a more realistic simulation to capture responses of the system. The hypoplastic constitutive model was used to capture soil behaviour. The concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model was used to capture the cracking behaviour in the concrete beams, columns and piles. The computed results revealed that the first excavation- induced substantial differential settlement (i.e., tilting) in the adjacent high-rise building while second excavation caused the building tilt back with smaller rate. As a result, the building remains tilted towards the first excavation with final value of tilting of 0.28%. Consequently, the most severe tensile cracking damage at the bottom of two middle columns. At the end of twin excavations, the building load resisted by the raft reduced to half of that the load before the excavations. The reduced load transferred to the piles resulting in increment of the axial load along the entire length of piles.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.313-329
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• 2012

There have existed for a number of years good practice guidelines for the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in the field of wind engineering. As part of those guidelines, details are given for the size of flow domain that should be used around a building of height, H. For low-rise buildings, the domain sizes produced by following the guidelines are reasonable and produce results that are largely free from blockage effects. However, when high-rise or tall buildings are considered, the domain size based solely on the building height produces very large domains. A large domain, in most cases, leads to a large cell count, with many of the cells in the grid being used up in regions far from the building/wake region. This paper challenges this domain size guidance by looking at the effects of changing the domain size around a tall building. The RNG ${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model is used in a series of steady-state solutions where the only parameter varied is the domain size, with the mesh resolution in the building/wake region left unchanged. Comparisons between the velocity fields in the near-field of the building and pressure coefficients on the building are used to inform the assessment. The findings of the work for this case suggest that a domain of approximately 10% the volume of that suggested by the existing guidelines could be used with a loss in accuracy of less than 10%.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.213-227
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• 2022

The design of a building is a complex process that encompasses different fields: one of the most relevant is nowadays the energetic one, which has led to the introduction of new typologies of building envelopes. Among them, the Permeable Double Skin Façades (PDSF) are capable to reduce the solar impact and so to improve the energetic performances of the building. However, the aerodynamic characterization of a building with a PDSF is still little investigated in the current literature. The present paper proposes an experimental study to highlight the modifications induced by the outer porous façade in the aerodynamics of a building. A dedicated wind tunnel study is conducted on a rigid model of a prismatic high-rise building, where different façade configurations are tested. Specifically, the single-layer façade is compared to two PDSFs, the former realized with perforated metal and the latter with expanded metal. Outcomes of the tests allow estimating the cladding loads for all the configurations, quantifying the shielding effects ascribable to the porous layers that are translated in a significant reduction of the design pressure that could be up to 50%. Moreover, the impact of the PDSFs on the vortex shedding is investigated, suggesting the capability of the façade to suppress the generation of synchronised vortices and so mitigate the structural response of the building.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.537-557
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• 2011

While there are a number of guidelines used throughout the world in the assessment of acceptability of tall building accelerations, none are based on systematically conducted surveys of occupant reaction to wind-induced motion. In this study, occupant response data were gathered by both a self-reporting mechanism and by interviewer-conducted surveys in control tower structures over a period of four years. These two approaches were designed in conjunction with experimental psychologists to ensure unbiased reporting. The data allowed analysis of perception thresholds and tolerability at different building frequencies and in different wind climates. The long-term nature of the studies also allowed an investigation of the causes and effects of adaptation to building motion. As the surveys were designed to allow multiple use during single storms, the effects of exposure duration were investigated. A final exit survey was conducted at the primary survey location to investigate views of the acceptability of wind-induced motion and the factors underlying these views. The findings of the field studies indicate that none of the currently used acceleration guidelines address all of the factors that contribute to occupant dissatisfaction. An alternative framework for assessing acceleration acceptability is proposed.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.599-618
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• 2014

In this study, a square rectangular tall building is considered to investigate the effects of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity on the along-wind responses, across-wind responses and torsional responses of the tall building by Large Eddy Simulation (LES). A recently proposed inflow turbulence generator called the discretizing and synthesizing random flow generation (DSRFG) approach is applied to simulate turbulent flow fields. It has been proved that the approach is able to generate a fluctuating turbulent flow field satisfying any given spectrum, desired turbulence intensity and wind speed profiles. Five profiles of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity are respectively generated for the inflow fields by the DSRFG approach for investigating the effects of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity on the wind-induced responses of the tall building. The computational results indicate that turbulence integral length scale does not have significant effect on the along-wind (displacement, velocity and acceleration) responses, across-wind displacement and velocity responses, while the across-wind acceleration and torsional responses vary without a clear rule with the parameter. On the other hand, the along-wind, across-wind and torsional responses increase with the growth of turbulence intensity.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.243-255
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine effects of a multifactorial program for preventing the frailty of older adults and effects of a follow-up program applying a capacity building strategy. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used for the nonequivalent control group. The follow-up group (n=75) and non-follow-up group (n=68) received the same multifactorial program comprising muscle strength exercise, cognitive training, and psychosocial programs for 12 weeks. After completion of multifactorial program, the follow-up group took follow-up programs applying the capacity building strategy for following 12 weeks. The data of physical function, cognitive function, and psychological function, and self-rated health were collected from both groups three times: before intervention, after intervention, and 12 weeks after intervention. The data were analyzed using $x^2$ test and t-test. Results: In comparison with the non-follow-up group, the scores of Timed Up & Go Test, and physical activities energy expenditure were significantly improved in the follow-up group. Conclusion: These results indicate that a multifactorial program with follow-up adapting the strategies of capacity building for the older adults group is feasible to prevent the physical frailty in community.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.115-124
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• 2017

In this paper, a different technique to predict the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) on seismic response of building systems is investigated. The technique use a machine learning algorithm called Support Vector Regression (SVR) with technical and analytical results as input features. Normally, the effects of SSI on seismic response of existing building systems can be identified by different types of large data sets. Therefore, predicting and estimating the seismic response of building is a difficult task. It is possible to approximate a real valued function of the seismic response and make accurate investing choices regarding the design of building system and reduce the risk involved, by giving the right experimental and/or numerical data to a machine learning regression, such as SVR. The seismic response of both single-degree-of-freedom system and six-storey RC frame which can be represent of a broad range of existing structures, is estimated using proposed SVR model, while allowing flexibility of the soil-foundation system and SSI effects. The seismic response of both single-degree-of-freedom system and six-storey RC frame which can be represent of a broad range of existing structures, is estimated using proposed SVR model, while allowing flexibility of the soil-foundation system and SSI effects. The results show that the performance of the technique can be predicted by reducing the number of real data input features. Further, performance enhancement was achieved by optimizing the RBF kernel and SVR parameters through grid search.

• 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.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.265-276
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• 2022

Double-Skin Facades (DSF) on tall buildings are becoming increasingly common in urban environments due to their ability to provide architectural merit, passive design, acoustic control and even improved structural efficiency. This study aims to understand the effects of porous DSF on the aerodynamic characteristics of tall buildings using wind tunnel tests. High Frequency Force Balance and pressure tests were performed on the CAARC standard tall building model with a variable porous DSF on the windward face. The introduction of a porous DSF did not adversely affect the overall mean forces and moments experienced by the building, with few differences compared to the standard tall building model. There was also minimal variation between the results for the three porosities tested: 50%, 65% and 80%. The presence of a full-height porous DSF was shown to effectively reduce the mean and fluctuating wind pressure on the side face of the building by about 10%, and a porous DSF over the lower half height of the building was almost as effective. This indicates that the porous DSF could be used to reduce the design load on cladding and fixtures on the side faces of tall buildings, where most damage to facades typically occurs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.209-216
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• 2009

We have recently reported that the continuous exposure of rats to a concrete building environment under cool temperatures had adverse effects on general health parameters and embryo-fetal development. This study examined to compare the potential effects of concrete and wood building environments on pregnant dams and embryo-fetal development in rats. Groups of 10 mated females were exposed to polycarbonate (control), concrete, or wood cages from gestational days (GD) 0 to 20 under cool temperatures $(11.9\sim12.3^{\circ}C)$. All the females underwent a caesarean section on GD 20, and their fetuses were examined for any morphological abnormalities. The temperatures in the cages were similar in all groups but the relative humidity in the concrete and wood groups were higher than in the control group. The concentration of volatile organic compounds in the wood group was higher than in the control group. In the concrete group, maternal effects manifested as an increase in the incidence of clinical signs, a lower body weight, and a decrease in the thymus and ovary weights. Developmental effects included increased post-implantation loss and decreased litter size. Infrared thermal analysis showed that the skin temperature of the rats in the concrete group was lower than that in the control group. In contrast, there were no exposure-related adverse effects on the maternal and developmental parameters in the wood group. Overall, the exposure of pregnant rats to a concrete building environment under cool temperatures has adverse effects on the clinical signs, body weight, skin temperature, organ weight, and embryo-fetal development. On the other hand, exposure to a wood building environment does not have any adverse effects in rats.