• 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.23 no.3
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• pp.231-251
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• 2016

This paper presents the experimental results of the wind tunnel tests for three symmetric, rectangular, tall building models on a typical open terrain considering the torsional motion-induced vibrations. The time histories of the wind pressure on these models under different reduced wind speeds and torsional amplitudes are obtained through the multiple point synchronous scanning pressure technique. Thereafter, the characteristics of both the Root Mean Square (RMS) coefficients and the spectra of the base shear/torque in the along-wind, across-wind, and torsional directions, respectively, are discussed. The results show that the RMS coefficients of the base shear/torque vary in the three directions with both the reduced wind speeds and the torsional vibration amplitudes. The variation of the RMS coefficients in the along-wind direction results mainly from the change of the aerodynamic forces, but sometimes from aeroelastic effects induced by torsional vibration. However, the variations of the RMS coefficients in the across-wind and torsional directions are caused by more equal weights of both the aerodynamic forces and the aeroelastic effects. As such, for the typical tall buildings, the modification of the aerodynamic forces in the along-wind, across-wind, and torsional directions, respectively, and the aeroelastic effects in the across-wind and torsional directions should be considered. It is identified that the torsional vibration amplitudes and the reduced wind speeds are two significant parameters for the aerodynamic forces on the structures in the three directions.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.565-583
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• 2014

Using synchronous surface pressures from the wind tunnel test, the three dimensional wind load models of high-rise buildings are established. Furthermore, the internal force responses of symmetric high-rise buildings in along-wind, across-wind and torsional directions are evaluated based on mode acceleration method, which expresses the restoring force as the summation of quasi-static force and inertia force components. Accordingly the calculation methods of equivalent static wind loads, in which the contributions of the higher modes can be considered, of symmetric high-rise buildings in along-wind, across-wind and torsional directions are deduced based on internal forces equivalence. Finally the equivalent static wind loads of an actual symmetric high-rise building are obtained by this method, and compared with the along-wind equivalent static wind loads obtained by China National Standard.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.323-340
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• 2008

In this paper, the along-wind, across-wind as well as torsional dynamic wind loads on three kinds of lattice tower models are investigated using the base balance technique in a boundary layer wind tunnel. The models were specially designed, and their fundamental frequencies in the directions of the three principal axes are still in the frequency range of the spectra of wind loads on lattice towers. In order to clear contaminations to the spectra of wind loads induced by model resonance, the generalized force spectra of the first mode of the models in along-wind, across-wind and torsional directions were derived based on measured base moments of the models. The RMS generalized force coefficients are also obtained by removing the contributions of model resonance. Finally, the characteristics of the 3-D dynamic wind loads, especially those of the across-wind dynamic loads, on the three kinds of lattice towers are presented and discussed.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-72
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• 2001

This paper presents results of a study on wind loads and wind induced dynamic response of bridge jointed twin-towered buildings. Utilizing the high-frequency force balance technique, the drag and moment coefficients measured in wind tunnel tests, and the maximum acceleration rms values on the top floor of towers, are analyzed to examine the influence of building's plan shapes and of intervals between towers. The alongwind, acrosswind and torsional modal force spectra are investigated for generic bridge jointed twin-towered building models which cover twin squares, twin rhombuses, twin triangles, twin triangles with sharp corners cut off, twin rectangles and individual rectangle with the same outline aspect ratio as the twin rectangles. The analysis of the statistical correlation among three components of the aerodynamic force corroborated that the correlation between acrosswind and torsional forces is significant for bridge jointed twin-towered buildings.

• 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.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2009

A systematic reliability evaluation approach for torsional divergence analysis of long span suspension bridges is proposed, consisting of the first order reliability method and a simplified torsional divergence analysis method. The proposed method was implemented in the deterministic torsional divergence analysis program SIMTDB through a new strategy involving interfacing the proposed method with SIMTDB via a freely available MATLAB software tool (FERUM). A numerical example involving a detailed computational model of a long span suspension bridge with a main span of 888 m is presented to demonstrate the applicability and merits of the proposed method and the associated software strategy. Finally, the most influential random variables on the reliability of long span suspension bridges against torsional divergence failure are identified by a sensitivity analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.967-988
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• 2016

Due to the significant aerodynamic interference from sub-towers and surrounding tall buildings, the wind loads and dynamic responses on main tower of three-tower connected tall building typically change especially compared with those on the isolated single tall building. This paper addresses the wind load effects and equivalent static wind loads (ESWLs) of three-tower connected tall building based on measured synchronous surface pressures in a wind tunnel. The variations of the global shape coefficients and extremum wind loads of main tower structure with or without interference effect under different wind directions are studied, pointing out the deficiency of the traditional wind loads based on the load codes for the three-tower connected tall building. The ESWLs calculation method based on elastic restoring forces is proposed, which completely contains the quasi-static item, inertia item and the coupled effect between them. Then the wind-induced displacement and acceleration responses for main tower of three-tower connected tall building in the horizontal and torsional directions are investigated, subsequently the structural basal and floor ESWLs under different return periods, wind directions and damping ratios are studied. Finally, the action mechanism of interference effect on structural wind effects is investigated. Main conclusions can provide a sientific basis for the wind-resistant design of such three-tower connected tall building.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Interference effects in five square tall buildings arranged in an L- or T-shaped pattern are investigated in the wind tunnel. Mean and fluctuating shear forces, overturning moments and torsional moment are measured on each building with a force balance mounted at its base. Results are obtained at two values of clear separation between adjacent buildings, at half and a quarter building breadth. It is found that strong interference effect exists on all member buildings, resulting in significant modifications of wind loads as compared with the isolated single building case. Sheltering effect is observed on wind loads acting along the direction of an arm of the "L" or "T" on the inner buildings. However, increase in these wind loads from the isolated single building case is found on the most upwind edge building in the arm when wind blows at a slight oblique angle to the arm. The corner formed by two arms of buildings results in some wind catchment effect leading to increased wind pressure on windward building faces. Interesting interference phenomena such as negative drag force are reported. Interference effects on wind load fluctuations, load spectra and dynamic building responses are also studied and discussed.

• 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.