WIND-INDUCED VIBRATION PERFORMANCE-BASED OPTIMAL STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF TALL BUILDINGS

This paper presents an integrated computer-based analysis and an optimal design method for the performance-based design of tall buildings under various levels of wind hazards. Performance-based wind engineering design framework for tall buildings has been proposed by considering three performance levels, i.e., life safety, damage reduction, habitability and operation under exposure to extreme wind events. The design wind speeds corresponding to multi-level wind hazards can be statistically estimated using meteorological wind speed data. Based on random vibration theory, the wind-induced responses of a tall building can be analyzed and formulated in the frequency domain for wind-induced performance assessment. A rigorously derived Optimality Criteria (OC) method is to be developed for achieving the optimal structural design solution of a tall building satisfying multiple wind-resistant performance constraints, i.e., the element strength, the system drift and acceleration design constraints. The effectiveness and practicality of the optimal performance-based design technique are illustrated by a 40-storey residential building with complex 3D mode shapes. Results have shown that the automated design optimization technique provides a powerful tool for multi-level performance-based design of wind sensitive tall building structures.