• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.129-145
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• 2014

In order to investigate the characteristics of torsional wind loads on rectangular tall buildings, five models with different rectangular cross-sections were tested in a boundary wind tunnel. Based on the test results, the RMS force coefficients, power spectrum densities as well as vertical correlation functions of torsional wind loads were analyzed. Formulas that took the side ratio as parameters were proposed to fit the test results above. Comparisons between the results calculated by the formulas and the wind tunnel measurements were made to verify the reliability of the proposed formulas. An simplified expression to evaluate the dynamic torsional wind loads on rectangular tall buildings in urban terrain is presented on basis of the above formulas and has been proved by a practical project. The simplified expressions as well as the proposed formulas can be applied to estimate wind-induce torsional response on rectangular tall buildings in the frequency domain.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.153-178
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• 2008

Based on the empirical formulas for power spectra of generalized modal forces and local fluctuating wind forces in across-wind and torsional directions, the wind-induced lateral-torsional coupled response analysis of a representative rectangular tall building was conducted by setting various parameters such as eccentricities in centers of mass and/or rigidity and considering different torsional to lateral stiffness ratios. The eccentricity effects on the lateral-torsional coupled responses of the tall building were studied comprehensively by structural dynamic analysis. Extensive computational results indicated that the torsional responses at the geometric center of the building may be significantly affected by the eccentricities in the centers of mass and/or rigidity. Covariance responses were found to be in the same order of magnitude as the along-wind or across-wind responses in many eccentricity cases, suggesting that the lateral-torsional coupled effects on the overall wind-induced responses can not be neglected for such situations. The calculated results also demonstrated that the torsional motion contributed significantly to the total responses of rectangular tall buildings with mass and/or rigidity eccentricities. It was shown through this study that the framework presented in this paper provides a useful tool to evaluate the wind-induced lateral-torsional coupled responses of rectangular buildings, which will enable structural engineers in the preliminary design stages to assess the serviceability of tall buildings, potential structural vibration problems and the need for a detailed wind tunnel test.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.197-212
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• 2005

Tall buildings under wind action usually oscillate simultaneously in the along-wind and across-wind directions as well as in torsional modes. While several procedures have been developed for predicting wind-induced loads and responses in along-wind direction, accurate analytical methods for estimating across-wind and torsional response have not been possible yet. Simplified empirical formulas for estimation of the across-wind dynamic responses of rectangular tall buildings are presented in this paper. Unlike established empirical formulas in codifications, the formulas proposed in this paper are developed based on simultaneous pressure measurements from a series of tall building models with various side and aspect ratios in a boundary layer wind tunnel. Comparisons of the across-wind responses determined by the proposed formulas and the results obtained from the wind tunnel tests as well as those estimated by two well-known wind loading codes are made to examine the applicability and accuracy of the proposed simplified formulas. It is shown through the comparisons that the proposed simplified formulas can be served as an alternative and useful tool for the design and analysis of wind effects on rectangular tall buildings.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.603-616
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• 2013

This study is aimed at formulating an empirical equation for the across-wind fluctuating moment and spectral density coefficient, which are needed to estimate the across-wind dynamic responses of tall buildings, as a function of the side ratios of buildings. In order to estimate an empirical formula, wind tunnel tests were conducted on aero-elastic models of the rectangular prisms with various aspect and side ratios in turbulent boundary layer flows. In this paper, criteria for the across-wind fluctuating moment and spectral density are briefly discussed and the results are analyzed mainly as a function of the side ratios of the buildings. Finally, empirical formulas for the across-wind fluctuating moment coefficient and spectral density coefficient according to variation of the aspect ratio are proposed.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.101-104
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• 2006

This study aims at verifying characteristics of torsional fluctuating moment coefficient and power spectral density, which is needed to estimate torsional response of tall buildings. In order to estimate characteristics, the wind tunnel tests have been conducted on 52 types aero-elastic model of the rectangular prisms with various aspects ratios, side ratios and surface roughness in turbulent boundary layer flows. In this paper, characteristics of torsional fluctuating wind force are briefly discussed and then these results were mainly analyzed as a function of the aspects ratios and side ratios of buildings.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.285-296
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• 2014

The objective of optimization is to present a design process that minimizes the total material consumption while satisfying current codes and specifications. In the research an optimization formulation for RC shear wall structures is proposed. And based on conceptual design methodology, an optimization process is investigated. Then optimal design techniques and specific explanations are introduced for residential buildings with shear wall structure, especially for that with a rectangular layout. An example of 30-story building is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed optimal design process. Furthermore, the influence of aspect ratio on the concrete consumption and the steel consumption of the superstructure are analyzed for this typical RC shear wall structure; and their relations are obtained by regressive analysis. Finally, the optimal material consumption is suggested for the residential building with RC shear wall structure and with rectangular layout. The relation and the data suggested can be used for guiding the design of similar RC shear wall structures.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.193-207
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• 2000

The possible application of a spatially placed passive tuned liquid column damper system for suppressing coupled lateral-torsional responses of tall buildings is investigated in this paper. The wind loads acting on rectangular tall buildings are analytically expressed as 3-D stochastic model. Meanwhile, the 3-D responses of tall buildings may be coupled due to eccentricities between the stiffness and mass centers of the buildings. In these cases, torsional responses of the buildings are rather larger, and a TLCD system composed of several TLCD located near the sides of the buildings is more effective than the same TLCD placed at the building center in reducing both translational and torsional responses of the buildings. In this paper, extensive analytical and numerical work has been done to present the calculation method and optimize the parameters of such TLCD systems. The numerical examples show that the spatially placed TLCD system can reduce coupled along-wind, across-wind and torsional responses significantly with a fairly small mass ratio.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.213-228
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• 2013

Tall buildings have been traditionally designed to be symmetric rectangular, triangular or circular in plan, in order to avoid excessive seismic-induced torsional vibrations due to eccentricity, especially in seismic-prone regions like Japan. However, recent tall building design has been released from the spell of compulsory symmetric shape design, and free-style design is increasing. This is mainly due to architects' and structural designers' challenging demands for novel and unconventional expressions. Another important aspect is that rather complicated sectional shapes are basically good with regard to aerodynamic properties for crosswind excitations, which are a key issue in tall-building wind-resistant design. A series of wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulation have been carried out to determine aerodynamic forces and wind pressures acting on tall building models with various configurations: corner cut, setbacks, helical and so on. Dynamic wind-induced response analyses of these models have also been conducted. The results of these experiments have led to comprehensive understanding of the aerodynamic characteristics of tall buildings with various configurations.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.423-441
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• 2014

The high frequency base balance (HFBB) technique is a convenient and relatively fast wind tunnel testing technique for predicting wind-induced forces for tall building design. While modern tall building design has seen a number architecturally remarkable buildings constructed recently, the characteristics of those buildings are significantly different to those that were common when the HFBB technique was originally developed. In particular, the prediction of generalized forces for buildings with 3-dimensional mode shapes has a number of inherent uncertainties and challenges that need to be overcome to accurately predict building loads and responses. As an alternative to the more conventional application of general mode shape correction factors, an analysis methodology, referred to as the linear-mode-shape (LMS) method, has been recently developed to allow better estimates of the generalized forces by establishing a new set of centers at which the translational mode shapes are linear. The LMS method was initially evaluated and compared with the methods using mode shape correction factors for a rectangular building, which was wind tunnel tested in isolation in an open terrain for five incident wind angles at $22.5^{\circ}$ increments from $0^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$. The results demonstrated that the LMS method provides more accurate predictions of the wind-induced loads and building responses than the application of mode shape correction factors. The LMS method was subsequently applied to a tall building project in Hong Kong. The building considered in the current study is located in a heavily developed business district and surrounded by tall buildings and mixed terrain. The HFBB results validated the versatility of the LMS method for the structural design of an actual tall building subjected to the varied wind characteristics caused by the surroundings. In comparison, the application of mode shape correction factors in the HFBB analysis did not directly take into account the influence of the site specific characteristics on the actual wind loads, hence their estimates of the building responses have a higher variability.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2018

For most full-scale tall buildings the Reynolds number of a flow field around a circular cylinder under strong wind is usually greater than $2{\times}10^7$, which is difficult to achieve in most wind tunnel tests. To explore the wind characteristics of tall cylindrical buildings with equidirectional grooves from subcritical to transcritical flow ($6.6{\times}10^4{\leq}Re{\leq}3.3{\times}10^5$ and $9.9{\times}10^6{\leq}Re{\leq}7.2{\times}10^7$), wind tunnel tests and full-scale large eddy simulations were carried out. The results showed that the rectangular-grooves narrow the wake width due to the downstream movement of the separation point and the deeper grooves cause smaller mean and fluctuating pressure while the peak pressure is little affected. Furthermore, the grooves lead to lower frequency of vortex shedding but the Strouhal number remains at the range from 0.15 to 0.35. The drag coefficient of the cylinders with grooves was found to be 2~3 times as large as that of smooth cylinders.