Reducing Uncertainties in Estimation of Wind Effects on Tall Buildings Using Aerodynamic Wind ...

266 Pages·2016·11.13 MB·English

Florida International University
FIU Digital Commons
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School
7-3-2013
Reducing Uncertainties in Estimation of Wind
Effects on Tall Buildings Using Aerodynamic Wind
Tunnel Tests
Workamaw Paulos Warsido
[email protected]
DOI:10.25148/etd.FI13080914
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Warsido, Workamaw Paulos, "Reducing Uncertainties in Estimation of Wind Effects on Tall Buildings Using Aerodynamic Wind
Tunnel Tests" (2013).FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 939.
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FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Miami, Florida

REDUCING UNCERTAINTIES IN ESTIMATION OF WIND EFFECTS ON TALL
BUILDINGS USING AERODYNAMIC WIND TUNNEL TESTS

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
in
CIVIL ENGINEERING
by
Workamaw Paulos Warsido

2013
To: Dean Amir Mirmiran
College of Engineering and Computing

This dissertation, written by Workamaw Paulos Warsido, and entitled Reducing
Uncertainties in Estimation of Wind Effects on Tall Buildings using Aerodynamic Wind
tunnel tests, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred
to you for judgment.

We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved.

_______________________________________
Arindam Gan Chowdhury

_______________________________________
Nakin Suksawang

_______________________________________
Igor Tsukanov

_______________________________________
Girma Bitsuamlak, Major Professor

Date of Defense: July 3, 2013

The dissertation of Workamaw Paulos Warsido is approved.

_______________________________________
Dean Amir Mirmiran
College of Engineering and Computing

_______________________________________
Dean Lakshmi N. Reddi
University Graduate School

Florida International University, 2013
ii
© Copyright 2013 by Workamaw Paulos Warsido
All rights reserved.

iii
DEDICATION
This dissertation work is dedicated to my parents Paulos Warsido and Emebet
Mengistu, and to my sisters Chereka, Addis Zemen and Tigist. Without them this dream
would have not been possible.

iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It gives me an immense pleasure to express my most sincere gratitude and
appreciation to my advisor Dr. Girma Bitsuamlak for his guidance, valuable suggestions,
encouragement, patience, and endless support throughout my graduate study. I would
also like to extend my sincere gratitude to my dissertation committee members: Dr.
Arindam G. Chowdhury, Dr. Nakin Suksawang, and Dr. Igor Tsukanov, for their
constructive input in the completion of this research.
I would like to thank Florida International University, the National Science
Foundation (Grant No. 0846811), the International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC),
and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for providing financial
support which made this research work possible.
The help and moral supports I received from my friends Dr. Agerneh Dagnew,
Dereje Abay, Eskedar Molla, Robel Tesfamariam, Edward Ledesma, and the rest of all
my friends are greatly appreciated. The staff at Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department, Wall of Wind facility, the International Hurricane Research Center and the
boundary layer wind tunnel facility at RWDI Inc. is also greatly acknowledged.
Last but not least, special thanks go to my parents Paulos Warsido and Emebet
Mengistu, my sisters Chereka, Addis Zemen and Tigist, my aunt Elsabet Endale for their
unconditional love, encouragement and unwavering support throughout my academic
career.

v
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION
REDUCING UNCERTAINTIES IN ESTIMATION OF WIND EFFECTS ON TALL
BUILDINGS USING AERODYNAMIC WIND TUNNEL TESTS
by
Workamaw Paulos Warsido
Florida International University, 2013
Miami, Florida
Professor Girma Bitsuamlak, Major Professor
Tall buildings are wind-sensitive structures and could experience high wind-
induced effects. Aerodynamic boundary layer wind tunnel testing has been the most
commonly used method for estimating wind effects on tall buildings. Design wind effects
on tall buildings are estimated through analytical processing of the data obtained from
aerodynamic wind tunnel tests. Even though it is widely agreed that the data obtained
from wind tunnel testing is fairly reliable the post-test analytical procedures are still
argued to have remarkable uncertainties. This research work attempted to assess the
uncertainties occurring at different stages of the post-test analytical procedures in detail
and suggest improved techniques for reducing the uncertainties.
Results of the study showed that traditionally used simplifying approximations,
particularly in the frequency domain approach, could cause significant uncertainties in
estimating aerodynamic wind-induced responses. Based on identified shortcomings, a
more accurate dual aerodynamic data analysis framework which works in the frequency
and time domains was developed. The comprehensive analysis framework allows
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estimating modal, resultant and peak values of various wind-induced responses of a tall
building more accurately.
Estimating design wind effects on tall buildings also requires synthesizing the
wind tunnel data with local climatological data of the study site. A novel copula based
approach was developed for accurately synthesizing aerodynamic and climatological data
up on investigating the causes of significant uncertainties in currently used synthesizing
techniques. Improvement of the new approach over the existing techniques was also
illustrated with a case study on a 50 story building.
At last, a practical dynamic optimization approach was suggested for tuning
structural properties of tall buildings towards attaining optimum performance against
wind loads with less number of design iterations.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1.  INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 
1.1.  Motivation ........................................................................................................... 1 
1.2.  Brief background theory ..................................................................................... 2 
1.3.  Research hypothesis ............................................................................................ 4 
1.4.  Research objectives ............................................................................................. 4 
1.5.  Methodology ....................................................................................................... 5 
1.5.1.  Experimental method .................................................................................... 6 
1.5.2.  Numerical method ......................................................................................... 6 
1.6.  Organization of the dissertation .......................................................................... 8 
References ....................................................................................................................... 9 
2.  WIND AND ITS INTERACTION WITH STRUCTURES ...................................... 10 
2.1.  Wind climatology.............................................................................................. 10 
2.1.1.  Atmospheric Boundary Layer ..................................................................... 10 
2.1.1.1.  Mean velocity ...................................................................................... 11 
2.1.1.2.  Turbulence intensity ............................................................................ 12 
2.1.1.3.  Turbulence spectrum ........................................................................... 13 
2.1.1.4.  Integral length and time scales ............................................................ 15 
2.2.  Wind effects on structures ................................................................................ 17 
2.2.1.  General ........................................................................................................ 17 
2.2.2.  Wind tunnel simulation ............................................................................... 18 
2.2.3.  Wind tunnel tests for tall buildings ............................................................. 21 
2.2.3.1.  Aerodynamic tests ............................................................................... 21 
2.2.3.1.1.  High Frequency Force Balance (HFFB) test .................................. 22 
2.2.3.1.2.  High Frequency Pressure Integration (HFPI) test .......................... 26 
2.2.3.2.  Aeroelastic tests ................................................................................... 28 
2.2.4.  Wind loads on tall buildings ....................................................................... 29 
2.3.  Summary ........................................................................................................... 31 
References ..................................................................................................................... 37 
3.  A DUAL AERODYNAMIC DATA ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK FOR TALL
BUILDINGS ..................................................................................................................... 42 
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 42 
3.1.  Introduction ....................................................................................................... 42 
3.2.  Dynamics of tall buildings ................................................................................ 43 
3.3.  Frequency domain approach ............................................................................. 46 
3.3.1.  Modal responses .......................................................................................... 46 
3.3.2.  Resultant responses ..................................................................................... 49 
3.3.3.  Peak responses ............................................................................................ 52 
3.4.  Time domain analysis ....................................................................................... 55 
3.4.1.  Modal responses .......................................................................................... 56 
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3.4.2.  Peak response estimation ............................................................................ 58 
3.5.  Case study ......................................................................................................... 60 
3.5.1.  Experimental setup...................................................................................... 60 
3.5.2.  Dynamic analysis ........................................................................................ 61 
3.6.  Results and discussion ...................................................................................... 61 
3.6.1.  Modal responses .......................................................................................... 61 
3.6.2.  Modal correlation coefficients .................................................................... 62 
3.6.3.  Resultant responses ..................................................................................... 63 
3.6.4.  Peak responses ............................................................................................ 64 
3.6.5.  CPU time ..................................................................................................... 65 
3.7.  Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 66 
References ..................................................................................................................... 84 
4.  CONTRIBUTION OF HIGHER VIBRATION MODES TO THE WIND-INDUCED
RESPONSES OF TALL BUILDINGS ............................................................................ 87 
Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 87 
4.1.  Introduction ....................................................................................................... 87 
4.2.  Parametric study................................................................................................ 89 
4.2.1.  Experimental setup...................................................................................... 89 
4.2.2.  Dynamic analysis ........................................................................................ 90 
4.3.  Results and discussion ...................................................................................... 90 
4.3.1.  Aerodynamic loads ..................................................................................... 90 
4.3.2.  Generalized wind loads ............................................................................... 92 
4.3.3.  Higher mode responses ............................................................................... 93 
4.3.3.1.  Variation with wind direction .............................................................. 93 
4.3.3.2.  Variation along the building height ..................................................... 94 
4.4.  Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 96 
References ................................................................................................................... 116 
5.  ASSESSMENT OF THE UNCERTAINTIES IN AERODYNAMIC AND
CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA SYNTHESIS .................................................................. 117 
Abstract ....................................................................................................................... 117 
5.1.  Introduction ..................................................................................................... 117 
5.2.  Synthesis of aerodynamic and climatological data ......................................... 118 
5.2.1.  Directionality factor approach .................................................................. 119 
5.2.2.  Sector-by-sector approach ........................................................................ 120 
5.2.3.  Out-crossing of the response boundary approach ..................................... 121 
5.2.4.  Storm passage method .............................................................................. 126 
5.3.  Extreme value analysis ................................................................................... 128 
5.3.1.  Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) method ............................................. 129 
5.3.1.1.  Gumbel distribution ........................................................................... 130 
5.3.1.2.  Type II and III distributions............................................................... 132 
5.3.1.2.1.  The method of probability-weighted moments (PWM) ............... 132 
5.3.1.2.2.  The maximum likelihood (ML) method ....................................... 133 
5.3.1.3.  Merits and demerits of GEV distributions ......................................... 134 
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