• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.505-521
• /
• 2015

A general approach of aerodynamic optimization of tall buildings is presented in this paper, focusing on how to best compromise wind issues with other design aspects in the most efficient manner. The given approach is reinforced by establishing an empirical method that can quickly assess the across-wind loads and accelerations as a function of building frequencies, building dimensions, aspect ratios, depth-to-width ratios, and site exposures. Effects of corner modifications, including chamfered corner and recessed corner, can also be assessed in early design stages. Further, to assess the effectiveness of optimization by tapering, stepping or twisting building elevations, the authors introduce a method that takes use of sectional aerodynamic data derived from a simple wind tunnel pressure testing to estimate reductions on overall wind loads and accelerations for various optimization options, including tapering, stepping, twisting and/or their combinations. The advantage of the method is to considerably reduce the amount of wind tunnel testing efforts and speed up the process in finding the optimized building configurations.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.377-386
• /
• 2020

Beginning a few decades ago, Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, has experienced a dramatic construction boom that is revitalizing its skyline. The expansive growth looks to uphold the historic past of Baku as a focal point within the Caspian Sea Region while also evoking aspirations for a city of the future. With superstructure complete and interiors progressing, the Ministry of Taxation (MOT) tower is the latest addition to the city, with its stacked cubes twisting above a multi-level podium at the base. Each cube is separated by column-free green roof terraces, creating unique parametric reveals of the developing surroundings. Aside from MOT's stunning shape, its geolocation resulted in unusually high wind loads coupled with high seismic hazards for a tower of its height. In addition, limitations on possible structural systems required stepping away from a typical prescriptive code-based approach into one that utilized Performance-Based Design (PBD) methods. This paper presents the numerous structural challenges and innovations that allowed the design of a new icon to be realized.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.145-151
• /
• 2018

Newly-designed high-rise buildings, both in China and abroad, have demonstrated new innovations from the creative concept to the creative method. from the creative concept to the creative method. At the same time, digital technology has enabled more design freedom in the vertical dimension. "Twisting" has gradually become the morphological choice of many city landmark buildings in recent years. The form seems more likely to be driven by the interaction of aesthetics and structural engineering. Environmental performance is often a secondary consideration; it is typically not simulated until the evaluation phase. Based on the research results of "DigitalFUTURE Shanghai 2017 Workshop - Wind Tunnel Visualization", an approach that can be employed by architects to design environmental-performance buildings during the early stages has been explored. The integration of a dynamic form-finding approach (DFFA) and programming transforms the complex relationship between architecture and environment into a dialogue of computer language and dynamic models. It allows the design to focus on the relationship between morphology and the surrounding environment, and is not limited to the envelope form itself. This new concept of DFFA in this research consists of three elements: 1) architectural form; 2) integration of wind tunnel and dynamic models; and 3) environmental response. The concept of wind tunnel testing integrated with a dynamic model fundamentally abandons the functional definition of the traditional static environment simulation analysis. Instead it is driven by integral environmental performance as the basic starting point of morphological generation.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.33-47
• /
• 2017

This mixed-use Raffles City (RCH) development is located near the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, located southwest of Shanghai, China. The project incorporates retail, offices, housing, and hotel facilities and marks the site of a cultural landscape within the Quianjiang New Town Area. The project is composed of two 250-meter-tall twisting towers with a form of vibrant waves, along with a commercial podium and three stories of basement car parking. It reaches a height of 60 stories, presenting views both to and from the Qiantang River and West Lake areas, with a total floor area of almost 400,000 square meters. A composite moment frame plus concrete core structural system was adopted for the tower structures. Concrete filled steel tubular (CFT) columns together with steel reinforced concrete (SRC) beams form the outer moment frame of the towers' structure. The internal slabs and floor beams are of reinforced concrete. This paper presents the engineering design and construction of this highly complex project. Through comprehensive discussion and careful elaboration, some conclusions are reached, which serve as a reference guide for the design and construction of similar free-form, hybrid, mix-use buildings.