• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.95-111
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• 2011

Increasing numbers of floating offshore wind turbines are planned and designed these days due to their high potential in massive generation of clean energy from water depth deeper than 50 m. In the present study, a numerical prediction tool has been developed for the fully-coupled dynamic analysis of FOWTs in time domain including aero-blade-tower dynamics and control, mooring dynamics, and platform motions. In particular, the focus of the present study is paid to the dynamic coupling between the rotor and floater and the coupled case is compared against the uncoupled case so that their dynamic coupling effects can be identified. For this purpose, a mono-column mini TLP with 1.5MW turbine for 80m water depth is selected as an example. The time histories and spectra of the FOWT motions and accelerations as well as tether top-tensions are presented for the given collinear wind-wave condition. When compared with the uncoupled analysis, both standard deviations and maximum values of the floater-responses/tower-accelerations and tether tensions are appreciably increased as a result of the rotor-floater dynamic coupling, which may influence the overall design including fatigue-life estimation especially when larger blades are to be used.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2023

To evaluate the wind shielding effect of bridge towers with multiple limbs on high-speed trains, a wind tunnel test was conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles traversing multi-limb towers, which represented a combination of the steady aerodynamic coefficient of the vehicle-bridge system and wind environment around the tower. Subsequently, the analysis model of wind-vehicle-bridge (WVB) system considering the additional moments caused by lift and drag forces under nonuniform wind was proposed, and the reliability and accuracy of the proposed model of WVB system were verified using another model. Finally, the factors influencing the wind shielding effect of multi-limb towers were analyzed. The results indicate that the wind speed distributions along the span exhibit two sudden changes, and the wind speed generally decreases with increasing wind direction angle. The pitching and yawing accelerations of vehicles under nonuniform wind loads significantly increase due to the additional pitching and yawing moments. The sudden change values of the lateral and yawing accelerations caused by the wind shielding effect of multi-limb tower are 0.43 m/s² and 0.11 rad/s² within 0.4 s, respectively. The results indicate that the wind shielding effect of a multi-limb tower is the controlling factor in WVB systems.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.287-312
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• 2023

The global performance of a 15 MW floating offshore wind turbine, a newly designed semisubmersible floating foundation with multiple heave plates by CNOOC, is investigated with two independent turbine-floater-mooring coupled dynamic analysis programs CHARM3D-FAST and OrcaFlex. The semisubmersible platform hosts IEA 15 MW reference wind turbine modulated for VolturnUS-S and hybrid type (chain-wire-chain with clumps) 3×2 mooring lines targeting the water depth of 100 m. The numerical free-decay simulation results are compared with physical experiments with 1:64 scaled model in 3D wave basin, from which appropriate drag coefficients for heave plates were estimated. The tuned numerical simulation tools were then used for the feasibility and global performance analysis of the FOWT considering the 50-yr-storm condition and maximum operational condition. The effect of tower flexibility was investigated by comparing tower-base fore-aft bending moment and nacelle translational accelerations. It is found that the tower-base bending moment and nacelle accelerations can be appreciably increased due to the tower flexibility.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.301-311
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• 2012

This paper presents results from the structural monitoring of a steel wind tower characterized and presented in Part I of the paper. Monitoring period corresponds to about fifteen months of measurements. Results presented refer to stress distribution on shell and in bolts at different heights, stress fatigue spectra, section forces along height evaluated from the stress measurements and comparison with design forces, dynamic response in terms of accelerations, stresses, deflections and rotations.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.199-213
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• 2022

The current study investigates the dynamic effects in the tornado-structure response of an aeroelastic self-supported lattice transmission tower model tested under laboratory simulated tornado-like vortices. The aeroelastic model is designed for a geometric scale of 1:65 and tested under scaled down tornadoes in the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment (WindEEE) Research Institute. The simulated tornadoes have a similar length scale of 1:65 compared to the full-scale. An extensive experimental parametric study is conducted by offsetting the stationary tornado center with respect to the aeroelastic model. Such aeroelastic testing of a transmission tower under laboratory tornadoes is not reported in the literature. A multiaxial load cell is mounted underneath the base plate to measure the base shear forces and overturning moments applied to the model in three perpendicular directions. A three-axis accelerometer is mounted at the level of the second cross-arm to measure response accelerations to evaluate the natural frequencies through a free-vibration test. Radial, tangential, and axial velocity components of the tornado wind field are measured using cobra probes. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to assess the variation of the structural dynamic response associated with the location of the tornado relative to the lattice transmission tower. Three different layouts representing the change in the orientation of the tower model relative to the components of the tornado-induced loads are considered. The structural responses of the aeroelastic model in terms of base shear forces, overturning moments, and lateral accelerations are measured. The results are utilized to understand the dynamic response of self-supported transmission towers to the tornado-induced loads.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.285-299
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• 2012

This paper describes the development and calibration of a structural monitoring system installed in a 80 meters high steel wind tower supporting a 2.1 MW turbine Wind Class III IEC2a erected in the central part of Portugal. The several signals are measured at four different levels and include accelerations, strains on the tower wall and inside the connection bolts, inclinations and temperature. In order to correlate measurements with the wind velocity and direction and with the turbine operational parameters the corresponding signals are obtained directly from the turbine own monitoring system and are incorporated in the developed system. Results from the system calibration, the structural identification and the initial period of data acquisition are presented in this paper.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.163-179
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• 2014

Dynamic test with scaled model of a group of intake towers was performed to study the dynamic interaction between water and towers. The test model consists of intake tower or towers, massless foundation near the towers and part of water to simulate the dynamic interaction of tower-water-foundation system. Models with a single tower and 4 towers were tested to find the different influences of the water on the tower dynamic properties, seismic responses as well as dynamic water-tower interaction. It is found that the water has little influence on the resonant frequency in the direction perpendicular to flow due to the normal force transfer role of the water in the contraction joints between towers. By the same effect of the water, maximum accelerations in the same direction on 4 towers tend to close to each other as the water level increased from low to normal level. Moreover, the acceleration responses of the single tower model are larger than the group of towers model in both directions in general. Within 30m from the surface of water, hydrodynamic pressures were quite close for a single tower and group of towers model at two water levels. For points deeper than 30m, the pressures increased about 40 to 55% for the group of towers model than the single tower model at both water levels. In respect to the pressures at different towers, two mid towers experienced higher than two side towers, the deeper, the larger the difference. And the inside hydrodynamic pressures are more dependent on ground motions than the outside.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2012

New generation of tall and complex buildings systems are now introduced that are reflective of the latest development in materials, design, sustainability, construction, and IT technologies. While the complexity in design is being overcome by the availability and advances in structural analysis tools and readily advanced software, the design of these buildings are still reliant on minimum code requirements that yet to be validated in full scale. The involvement of the author in the design and construction planning of Burj Khalifa since its inception until its completion prompted the author to conceptually develop an extensive survey and real-time structural health monitoring program to validate all the fundamental assumptions mad for the design and construction planning of the tower. The Burj Khalifa Project is the tallest structure ever built by man; the tower is 828 meters tall and comprises of 162 floors above grade and 3 basement levels. Early integration of aerodynamic shaping and wind engineering played a major role in the architectural massing and design of this multi-use tower, where mitigating and taming the dynamic wind effects was one of the most important design criteria established at the onset of the project design. Understanding the structural and foundation system behaviors of the tower are the key fundamental drivers for the development and execution of a state-of-the-art survey and structural health monitoring (SHM) programs. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to discuss the execution of the survey and real-time structural health monitoring programs to confirm the structural behavioral response of the tower during construction stage and during its service life; the monitoring programs included 1) monitoring the tower's foundation system, 2) monitoring the foundation settlement, 3) measuring the strains of the tower vertical elements, 4) measuring the wall and column vertical shortening due to elastic, shrinkage and creep effects, 5) measuring the lateral displacement of the tower under its own gravity loads (including asymmetrical effects) resulting from immediate elastic and long term creep effects, 6) measuring the building lateral movements and dynamic characteristic in real time during construction, 7) measuring the building displacements, accelerations, dynamic characteristics, and structural behavior in real time under building permanent conditions, 8) and monitoring the Pinnacle dynamic behavior and fatigue characteristics. This extensive SHM program has resulted in extensive insight into the structural response of the tower, allowed control the construction process, allowed for the evaluation of the structural response in effective and immediate manner and it allowed for immediate correlation between the measured and the predicted behavior. The survey and SHM programs developed for Burj Khalifa will with no doubt pioneer the use of new survey techniques and the execution of new SHM program concepts as part of the fundamental design of building structures. Moreover, this survey and SHM programs will be benchmarked as a model for the development of future generation of SHM programs for all critical and essential facilities, however, but with much improved devices and technologies, which are now being considered by the author for another tall and complex building development, that is presently under construction.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.33-40
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• 2022

Recently, cultural heritages in South Korea gain many interests of restoration and preservation from the government since many of that have been severely damaged during earthquakes. Many previous studies in both terms of experimental and analytical approaches have been done to examine structural behavior and decide appropriate methods of preservation. Being motivated by such researches, this research aims to investigate a religious stone pagoda dated back to the Goryeo Dynasty in Korea. The structure consists of a granite stone foundation and baked bricks, which resembles the shape of traditional pagodas. In order to examine the structural behavior of the pagoda, an analytical model is implemented using ANSYS, a comprehensive engineering simulation platform. For the time history analysis of the pagoda, several earthquake excitations are chosen and input to simulation modeling. Seismic response of the tower such as time domain, natural frequency, modal shapes and peak acceleration measured at each layer are presented and discussed. In addition, the amplification ratio of the tower is calculated from the accelerations of each layer to determine tower stability in accordance with Korean seismic design guide. The determination and evaluation of status and response of the brick tower by simulation analysis play an important role in the preservation of history as well as valuable architectural heritages in South Korea.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.81-96
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• 2020

Wind measurements were made on the Canton Tower at a height of 461 m above ground during the Typhoon Vincente, the wind-induced accelerations and displacements of the tower were recorded as well. Comparisons of measured wind parameters at upper level of atmospheric boundary layer with those adopted in wind tunnel testing were presented. The measured turbulence intensity can be smaller than the design value, indicating that the wind tunnel testing may underestimate the crosswind structural responses for certain lock-in velocity range of vortex shedding. Analyses of peak factors and power spectral density for acceleration response shows that the crosswind responses are a combination of gust-induced buffeting and vortex-induced vibrations in the certain range of wind directions. The identified modal frequencies and mode shapes from acceleration data are found to be in good agreement with existing experimental results and the prediction from the finite element model. The damping ratios increase with amplitude of vibration or equivalently wind velocity which may be attributed to aerodynamic damping. In addition, the natural frequencies determined from the measured displacement are very close to those determined from the acceleration data for the first two modes. Finally, the relation between displacement responses and wind speed/direction was investigated.