Wind Stability Engineering in High Rise

Buildings
1095 words (4 pages) Essay in Engineering

14/06/18 Engineering

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In building construction, there is a reciprocal relationship between forces within and

external to the structure that directly affect stability and longevity. Fundamentally, damped
oscillations operate within a system where a resistance (oftentimes passive) is applied to the
structure in direct conflict with the natural or imposed oscillation, thereby stopping the
movement (Knight, 2007).

Forced oscillations also act upon a structure as harmonic resonance is neared. In such
systems, there is a natural oscillating frequency (number of oscillations completed per
second) which operates within the structure, and an external force termed the driving
frequency which acts upon the system. Large differences between these two forces do
not actively define the amplitude of the oscillations; however, when they are numerically
equal to each other, harmonic resonance results, highlighting the maximum amplitude of
the system (Knight, 2007). Damped systems utilise force to reduce the affect of oscillations
on structural integrity, thereby preserving the lifecycle of the building.

To design and appropriately calculate the functions of a damped harmonic oscillator, the
following components are needed where is equal to a constant and is equal to the
structural mass.

This formula represents several functions of the structural stability including where
in which a critically damped case arises and equilibrium is quickly established;
where the system is over-damped and equilibrium is slowly reached; and where the
system is under-damped and exhibiting transient behaviour (Elert, 2007).

Perhaps the most famous example of harmonic resonance leading to structural deformation,
the Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge in the United States has been oft studied by
scientists and scholars to determine the forced collapse. The product of a galloping
oscillation, this structure was subjected to high wind forces (35mph) which excited the
bridge’s transverse vibration mode, resulting in three hours of motion with an amplitude of
1.5 feet (Irvine, 1999). A supplemental increase in wind to 42 miles per hour caused
dampening cables to snap, resulting in an unbalanced load condition that increased the
amplitude to 28 feet, and ultimately ended in collapse (Irvine, 1999). More modern
examples of structures functioning under the support of dampers include Victory
Monument on Poklyonnaya Hill in Russia which features three dynamic oscillation
dampers, fifteen flexural oscillation dampers, and one torsional oscillation damper (“High-
Rise Constructions,” 2008). Representative of a system utilising both active and passive
damping forces to reduce structural vibrations, this structure rises 141.8 m and retains a
skeletal framework of steel latticework, requiring the enhanced oscillation damping.

In high rise building construction, oscillations due to wind forces acting in both linear and
non-linear capacities directly contribute to structural instability. Etkin and Hansen (1984)
note that within such systems, artificial dampers limit the motions and resulting stresses
and through a determination of the amplitude of response consistent with wind related
variables, predictive measures can identify the maximum reaction. Similar forces directly
contribute to structural destabilisation, undermining integrity through resonance and
incumbent force variables. In 1994 a crane in Germany demonstrated the influence of
galloping induced oscillations as it was destroyed by fatigue cracks in the tension bars
during the bending mode at resting state (Hortmanns and Ruscheweyh, 1997). Resulting
from wind based forces in a state of quasi-stationary vibrations, such structural conflicts
oftentimes occur in large scale construction applications and cylindrical structures
(Hortmanns and Ruscheweyh, 1997). Theoretical investigation of multiple vector damped
linear systems has determined that resonant modes are free of coupling due to the damping
forces, causing the system to behave as a sum of independent one-dimensional subsystems
(Mathieu, 1965). The initial formulaic calculation for such a system is as follows:

When coupled with Raleigh’s assumption of proportion between stiffness and damping,
this formula enables multiple variable calculations within a linear system that are
mathematically independent of system counterparts (Mathieu, 1965). Effective in
determining the relationship between frequency and harmonic balance at differing segments
as well as varied temporal intervals, this equation is one more step towards comprehensive
structural analysis. Considering that high rise structures demonstrate an incidence of wind-
generated harmonic flux as well as torsional sinusoidal wave vibrations based on innate
building oscillations, calculating amplitude at varied temporal positions offers long term
predictions of stability and maximum collapse potential (Katagiri et al., 2001).

The preceding sections demonstrate the innate relationship between harmonic resonance
and the forces which act both internally and externally to a structure. Ultimately, resistance
is derived through damped systems or a forced resonance, thereby counteracting the effects
of wind, torsional movement, and ground shifting. More modern investigation into
differentials between linear and non-linear systems as exemplified by exploiting Raleigh’s
formulae in Mathieu demonstrate that variables within the resonant system oftentimes
operate individually, thereby prescribing unique forces without concurrent incidence within
counterparts. Long term implications of such predictive mechanisms include dynamic
damping integration which acts on a sector basis to minimise torsion.

References
Elert, G. (2007) The Chaos Hypertextbook. Glenn Ellert. Accessed on 29/11/08 From:
http://hypertextbook.com/chaos/41.shtml.

Etkin, B; Hansen, J.S. (1984) “Effect of a Damper on the Wind-Induced Oscillations of a

Tall Mast.” Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, Vol. 17, pp. 11-29.

“High Rise Constructions.” (2008) Melnikov Institute. Accessed on 29/11/08 From:

http://www.stako.ru/show_prj_list.php?&id=arch_high&lang=eng&data=arch_high&prn=y
es.

Hortmanns, M; Ruscheweyh, H. (1997) “Development of a Method for Calculating

Galloping Amplitudes Considering Nonlinear Aerodynamic Coefficients Measured with
the Forced Oscillation Method.” Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial
Aerodynamics, Vol. 69, pp. 251-261.

Irvine, T. (1999) “The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Failure.” December. Accessed on 29/11/08
From: http://www.vibrationdata.com/Tacoma.htm.

Katagiri, J; Ohkuma, T; Marikawa, H. (2001) “Motion Induced Wind Forces Acting on

Rectangular High-Rise Buildings with Side Ratio of 2.” Journal of Wind Engineering and
Industrial Dynamics, Vol. 89, pp. 1421-1432.

Knight, R.D. (2007) Physics for Scientists and Engineers. New York: Pearson Education.

Mathieu, J.P. (1965) “On Damped Vibration Theory.” International Journal of Mechanical
Science, Vol. 7, pp. 173-182.