Foundation Differential Settlement Included Time-dependent Elevation Control for Super Tall Structures

Due to the time-dependent properties of materials, structures, and loads, accurate time-dependent effects analysis and precise construction controls are very significant for rational analysis and design and saving project cost. Elevation control is an important part of the time-dependent construction control in supertall structures. Since supertall structures have numerous floors, heavy loads, long construction times, demanding processes, and are typically located in the soft coastal soil areas, both the time-dependent features of superstructure and settlement are very obvious. By using the time-dependent coupling effect analysis method, this paper compares Shanghai Tower's vertical deformation calculation and elevation control scheme, considering foundation differential settlement. The results show that the foundation differential settlement cannot be ignored in vertical deformation calculations and elevation control for supertall structures. The impact of foundation differential settlement for elevation compensation and pre-adjustment length can be divided into direct and indirect effects. Meanwhile, in the engineering practice of elevation control for supertall structures, it is recommended to adopt the multi-level elevation control method with relative elevation control and design elevation control, without considering the overall settlement in the construction process.