Early estimation of a structural systems’ stiffness in high-rise buildings A development of guidelines in design for wind

Abstract

As our buildings grow higher so should the knowledge in the design of high-rise buildings. Tall structures require specialised understanding due to the great impact of wind load and subsequently the importance of stability. In the conceptual phase of design, it is essential to make a good estimation of the required stiffness. Today’s building standards generally provide a conservative geometry with overestimated loads. A development of guidelines for the design of high-rise buildings in an early stage are desirable and consequently the ambition of this thesis. The aim of the thesis is to examine current methods of design in a comprehensive analysis of high-rise buildings. By evaluating and comparing the design method by building codes with the result from provided wind tunnel testing, new guidelines for early assessment of a high-rise buildings’ structural system will be reached. To accomplish this research different methods of analysis is carried out. To incorporate current design approaches, interviews with structural engineers specialized in tall buildings are conducted. An analytical analysis is conducted by current building codes for design of high-rise buildings followed by a FEM analysis to investigate required stiffness. The structural system response is evaluated by comfort criteria which set the base for the development of new guidelines. The research showed a distinctly difference of wind loads predicted by building standards and wind tunnel testing. This resulted in a discrepancy between required stiffness for different configurations of the structural system. Observing the results, a development of guidelines for early estimation of a structural systems’ stiffness in high-rise buildings were reached.