Assessment of across-wind responses for aerodynamic optimization of tall buildings

A general approach of aerodynamic optimization of tall buildings is presented in this paper, focusing on how to best compromise wind issues with other design aspects in the most efficient manner. The given approach is reinforced by establishing an empirical method that can quickly assess the across-wind loads and accelerations as a function of building frequencies, building dimensions, aspect ratios, depth-to-width ratios, and site exposures. Effects of corner modifications, including chamfered corner and recessed corner, can also be assessed in early design stages. Further, to assess the effectiveness of optimization by tapering, stepping or twisting building elevations, the authors introduce a method that takes use of sectional aerodynamic data derived from a simple wind tunnel pressure testing to estimate reductions on overall wind loads and accelerations for various optimization options, including tapering, stepping, twisting and/or their combinations. The advantage of the method is to considerably reduce the amount of wind tunnel testing efforts and speed up the process in finding the optimized building configurations.