Grouping response method for equivalent static wind loads based on a modified LRC method

Wind loading is one of the most important loads for controlling the design of large-span roof structures. Equivalent static wind loads, which can generally aim at determining a specific response, are widely used by structural designers. A method for equivalent static wind loads applicable to multi-responses is proposed in this paper. A modified load- response-correlation （LRC） method corresponding to a particular peak response is presented, and the similarity algorithm implemented for the group response is described. The main idea of the algorithm is that two responses can be put into one group if the value of one response is close to that of the other response, when the structure is subjected to equivalent static wind loads aiming at the other response. Based on the modified LRC, the grouping response method is put forward to construct equivalent static wind loading. This technique can simultaneously reproduce peak responses for some grouped responses. To verify its computational accuracy, the method is applied to an actual large-span roof structure. Calculation results show that when the similarity of responses in the same group is high, equivalent static wind loads with high accuracy and reasonable magnitude of equivalent static wind distribution can be achieved.

Measurements of Wind Loads on Side-by-Side Semi-Submersibles in A Wind Tunnel

The multi-body system has been a popular form for offshore operations in terms of high efficiency.The wind effects are crucial which directly affect the relative positions of floating bodies and operating security.In this study,the aerodynamic characteristics for two coupled semi-submersibles were analyzed in a wind tunnel to fill the gaps in literature related to the wind sheltering on offshore platforms.The influences of separation distance were also investigated.According to the results,substantial shielding effects were observed and wind forces on the shielded vessel decreased dramatically:a reduction in the transverse force could be up to 74%.Moreover,the longitudinal wind load was amplified by the platform abreast in a side-by-side configuration.As expected,the interference level became more pronounced with a decreasing separation distance.For cases in which wind interaction decayed rapidly with distance,logarithmic functions were preferable for describing the relationship between them.Whereas linear fitting was reasonable for the transverse wind force when there was still evident sheltering at a quite large distance.The length of shielding area was another important factor that there was approximately a linear relationship between it and the shielding level for two platforms in close proximity at various wind attack angles.Based on the two parameters,a preliminary wind loads estimation method considering shielding effects was proposed.This approach can aid the industry to have a qualitative assessment of wind sheltering especially at early stages.

Study on semi-active control of mega-sub controlled structure by MR damper subject to random wind loads

The recently proposed mega-sub controlled structure （MSCS）, a new type of structure associated with the design and construction of super-tall buildings, has attracted the attention of designers for use in enhancing the control effectiveness in mega-frame buildings. In this paper, a dynamic equation and method to assemble parameter matrixes for a mega-sub controlled structure under random wind loads is presented. Semi-active control using magnetorheological dampers for the MSCS under random wind loads is investigated, and is compared with a corresponding system without dampers. A parametric study of the relative stiffness ratio and relative mass ratio between the mega-frame and the substructures, as well as the additional column stiffness ratio that influences the response control effectiveness of the MSCS, is discussed. The studies reveal, for the first time, that different control mechanisms exist. The results indicate that the proposed structure employing semi-active control can offer an effective control mechanism. Guidelines for selecting parameters are provided based on the analytical study.

Effects of sudden change in wind loads on running performance of trains on a highway-railway one-story bridge in crosswinds

To investigate the effects of sudden change in wind loads on the running performance of trains on the bridge in crosswinds,a highway-railway one-story bridge was taken as the research object.Aerodynamic coefficients of the train and the bridge were measured in a series of train-bridge system segment models through wind tunnel tests when two trains passed each other on the bridge and when a train entered and left the wind barrier section of the bridge.Based on the improved SIMPACK and ANSYS rigid-flexible coupling simulation method,a wind-double train-track-bridge system coupled vibration model was established.The dynamic responses of the train were analyzed under the effects of sudden change in wind loads caused by two trains passing each other and a train entering and leaving the wind barrier section of the bridge.The results show that the effects of sudden wind load change caused by the trains passing each other had less effects on the running safety of the leeward-side train than the wind shielding effect caused by the windward-side train in the wind speed range of 10−25 m/s.With the decrease in the porosity of wind barriers,the effects of the sudden wind load change played an increasingly important role in the running safety and comfort of the train.With the increase in wind speed,the lateral response of the train increased obviously because of the effects of sudden wind load change,which affects both the lateral running stability and the comfort of the train.

A Review of the Calculation Methods of Lifting Capacity in Wind Loads on Ocean Platforms

Wind load is a control load that affects the safety of structures in the design of ocean platforms. It has not only direct and powerful effects that may cause structure resonance but also has indirect effects causing waves or currents in the ocean. By analyzing the domestic and international norms, this study presents a review of calculation methods of wind load on ocean platforms, which belongs to large-scale non-entity structure used in the open sea while surrounding wind has no fixed direction. Current computations according to the norms are not accurate, which even not takes the force of the wind against the surface perpendicular to the structure into consideration. Additionally, this study also introduces and compares the lift model of platforms based on different theories, such as vortex-excitation and vibration, engineering structure dynamics, gas flow pressure theory, analyzing their applicability, advantages, and disadvantages. This paper analyzes the limitations and applicable conditions of the existing calculation method itself, such as the lift model is suitable for the existence of stable vortex wake;the calculation method of the structural dynamics of marine engineering must be combined with the wind tunnel test and consider the mistakes caused by the position relationship;the numerical simulation method is accurate but tedious. This study provides an insight into the calculation methods of lift in designing ocean platforms, including the finite element method for simulating fluid force and updating formulas in Chinese norms.

Autogeneration of Wind Loads on Buildings

in desisncede, some design knowledse about wind load on buildinss, i. e. ,wind load coefficient of building shape μs, is diasraniniatically prescribed.Wind pressure on a building surface partly depends on the shapo of the surfaceand the dimension of the building. This part of desisn knowledge can not bedirectly used in CAD systems.It must be prucesaed in order to autogenerate thewind load on a building for the niechanical analysis of the building structure.The article presents the formalization of design knowledge about wind load onbuildings. A mathematical model for the plane seonietrical contour of buildingstructure is established. The map relationship between the shape, dimension ofbuilding and wind load coefficient of building shape is numerically depicted.Therefore, the autogeneration of wind load on building structure isaccomplished. The data structure and algorithm related to the accomplishmentare also described in details.

Kriging metamodels for the dynamic response of high-rise buildings with outrigger systems and fragility estimates for seismic and wind loads

This paper proposes kriging metamodels for the dynamic response of high-rise buildings with outrigger systems subject to seismic and wind loads.Three types of outrigger systems are considered.Three-dimensional(3D)finite element models of high-rise buildings with outrigger systems are developed using ANSYS.Data generated from the finite element models are used to develop the proposed kriging metamodels.A sensitivity analysis is then carried out to determine the most sensitive input parameters in kriging metamodels to gain insights and suggest possible future developments.The proposed kriging metamodels are used to develop fragility estimates for high-rise buildings with three types of outrigger systems under seismic and wind loads.

Structural performance of flexible freeform panelssubjected to wind loads

An increased number of hurricanes and tornadoes have been recorded worldwide in the last decade,while research efforts to reduce wind-related damage to structures become essential.Freeform architecture,which focuses on generating complex curved shapes including streamlined shapes,has recently gained interest.This study focuses on investigating the potential of kerf panels,which have unique flexibility depending on the cut patterns and densities,to generate complex shapes for facades and their performance under wind loads.To investigate the kerf panel's potential capacity against wind loads,static and dynamic analyses were conducted for two kerf panel types with different cut densities and pre-deformed shapes.It was observed that although solid panels result in smaller displacement amplitudes,stresses,and strains in some cases,the kerf panels allow for global and local cell deformations resulting in stress reduction in various locations with the potential to reduce damage due to overstress in structures.For the predeformed kerf panels,it was observed that both the overall stress and strain responses in kerf cut arrangements were lower than those of the flat-shaped panels.This study shows the promise of the use of kerf panels in achieving both design flexibility and performance demands when exposed to service loadings.Considering that this newly proposed architectural configuration(design paradigm)for facades could revolutionize structural engineering by pushing complex freeform shapes to a standard practice that intertwines aesthetic arguments,building performance requirements,and material design considerations has the potential for significant practical applications.

Across-wind loads and effects of super-tall buildings and structures

Across-wind loads and effects have become increasingly important factors in the structural design of super-tall buildings and structures with increasing height. Across-wind loads and effects of tall buildings and structures are believed to be excited by inflow turbulence, wake, and inflow-structure interaction, which are very complicated. Although researchers have been focusing on the problem for over 30 years, the database of across-wind loads and effects and the computation methods of equivalent static wind loads have not yet been developed, most countries having no related rules in the load codes. Research results on the across-wind effects of tall buildings and structures mainly involve the determination of across-wind aerodynamic forces and across-wind aerodynamic damping, development of their databases, theoretical methods of equivalent static wind loads, and so on. In this paper we first review the current research on across-wind loads and effects of super-tall buildings and structures both at home and abroad. Then we present the results of our study. Finally, we illustrate a case study in which our research results are applied to a typical super-tall structure.

Experimental study of wind loads on gable roofs of low-rise buildings with overhangs

Gable roofs with overhangs （eaves） are the common constructions of low-rise buildings on the southeastern coast of China, and they were vulnerable to typhoons from experience. The wind pressure distributions on gable roofs of low-rise buildings are investigated by a series of wind tunnel tests which consist of 99 test cases with various roof pitches, height-depth ratios and width-depth ratios. The block pressure coefficients and worst negative （block） pressure coefficients on different roof regions of low-rise buildings are proposed for the main structure and building envelope, respectively. The effects of roof pitch, height-depth ratio, and width-depth ratio on the pressure coefficients of each region are analyzed in detail. In addition, the pressure coefficients on the roofs for the main structure and building envelope are fitted according to roof pitch, height-depth ratio and width-depth ratio of the low-rise building. Meanwhile, the rationality of the fitting formulas is verified by comparing the fitting results with the codes of different countries. Lastly, the block pressure coefficients and worst negative pressure coefficients are recommended to guide the design of low-rise buildings in typhoon area and act as references for the future＇s modification of wind load codes.

Effects of corner modifications on wind loads and local pressures on walls of tall buildings

In this study, the aerodynamic characteristics of tall buildings with corner modifications (e.g., local wind force coefficients, mean pressure distributions, normalized power spectrum density, and extreme local pressure) were examined. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to measure the wind pressures on building models with different heights and recessed corners of different ratios. At a wind direction of a = 0° (i.e., wind blowing on the front of a building), corner modifications effectively reduced wind forces in all cases. Specifically, small corner modification ratios reduced wind forces more effectively than their larger counterparts. However, corner modifications resulted in extreme local pressure on building surfaces. In addition, for small corner modification ratios, the probability of extreme local pressure occurring at a = 0° was high. This probability was also high for large corner modification ratios at a = 15° (i.e., wind blowing slightly obliquely on the front of a building) because wind blowing obliquely creates substantial vortex shedding on one side surface and extreme negative pressure over one building side surface. Results of computational fluid dynamic modeling were adopted to determine details of the aerodynamic characteristics of tall buildings with corner modifications.

Numerical Simulation for Prediction of Wind Loads on Building Surfaces

The reliability of the numerical K ε model for determining wind pressure on building surfaces is evaluated. The solution algorithm is based on a body fitted non orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system and a staggered grid arrangement. The covariant velocity components are chosen as dependent variables. Convective fluxes are described by the Power Law Scheme. The grids are generated with an elliptic grid generator using control functions. The results compare favorably with those by Oxford wind tunnel measurements.

A new framework for evaluating along-wind responses of a transmission tower

In this paper, an analytical framework to evaluate the along-wind-induced dynamic responses of a transmission tower is presented. Two analytical models and a new method are developed： （1） a higher mode generalized force spectrum （GFS） model of the transmission tower is deduced; （2） an analytical model that includes the contributions of the higher modes is further derived as a rational algebraic formula to estimate the structural displacement response; and （3） a new approach, applying load with displacement （ALD） instead of force, to solve the internal force of transmission tower is given. Unlike conventional methods, the ALD method can avoid calculating equivalent static wind loads （ESWLs）. Finally, a transmission tower structure is used as a numerical example to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the ALD method.

Contribution of tuned liquid column gas dampers to the performance of offshore wind turbines under wind, wave, and seismic excitations

The main intention of the present study is to reduce wind, wave, and seismic induced vibrations of jacket- type offshore wind turbines （JOWTs） through a newly developed vibration absorber, called tuned liquid column gas damper （TLCGD）. Using a Simulink-based model, an analytical model is developed to simulate global behavior of JOWTs under different dynamic excitations. The study is followed by a parametric study to explore efficiency of the TLCGD in terms of nacelle acceleration reduction under wind, wave, and earthquake loads. Study results indicate that optimum frequency of the TLCGD is rather insensitive to excitation type. In addition, while the gain in vibration control from TLCGDs with higher mass ratios is generally more pronounced, heavy TLCGDs are more sensitive to their tuned frequency such that ill-regulated TLCGD with high mass ratio can lead to destructive results. It is revealed that a well regulated TLCGD has noticeable contribution to the dynamic response of the JOWT under any excitation.

Application of artificial neural networks in optimal tuning of tuned mass dampers implemented in high-rise buildings subjected to wind load

High-rise buildings are usually considered as flexible structures with low inherent damping. Therefore, these kinds of buildings are susceptible to wind-induced vibration. Tuned Mass Damper（TMD） can be used as an effective device to mitigate excessive vibrations. In this study, Artificial Neural Networks is used to find optimal mechanical properties of TMD for high-rise buildings subjected to wind load. The patterns obtained from structural analysis of different multi degree of freedom（MDF） systems are used for training neural networks. In order to obtain these patterns, structural models of some systems with 10 to 80 degrees-of-freedoms are built in MATLAB/SIMULINK program. Finally, the optimal properties of TMD are determined based on the objective of maximum displacement response reduction. The Auto-Regressive model is used to simulate the wind load. In this way, the uncertainties related to wind loading can be taken into account in neural network’s outputs. After training the neural network, it becomes possible to set the frequency and TMD mass ratio as inputs and get the optimal TMD frequency and damping ratio as outputs. As a case study, a benchmark 76-story office building is considered and the presented procedure is used to obtain optimal characteristics of the TMD for the building.

Concept Design and Coupled Dynamic Response Analysis on 6-MW Spar-Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Tower, Spar platform and mooring system are designed in the project based on a given 6-MW wind turbine. Under wind-induced only, wave-induced only and combined wind and wave induced loads, dynamic response is analyzed for a 6-MW Spar-type floating offshore wind turbine （FOWT） under operating conditions and parked conditions respectively. Comparison with a platform-fixed system （land-based system） ofa 6-MW wind turbine is carried out as well. Results demonstrate that the maximal out-of-plane deflection of the blade of a Spar-type system is 3.1% larger than that of a land-based system; the maximum response value of the nacelle acceleration is 215% larger for all the designed load cases being considered; the ultimate tower base fore-aft bending moment of the Spar-type system is 92% larger than that of the land-based system in all of the Design Load Cases （DLCs） being considered; the fluctuations of the mooring tension is mainly wave-induced, and the safety factor of the mooring tension is adequate for the 6-MW FOWT. The results can provide relevant modifications to the initial design for the Spar-type system, the detailed design and model basin test of the 6-MW Spar-type system.

PATH INTEGRAL SOLUTION OF NONLINEAR DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF STRUCTURE UNDER WIND EXCITATION

A numerical scheme for the nonlinear behavior of structure under wind excitation is investigated. With the white noise filter of turbulent-wind fluctuations, the nonlinear motion equation of structures subjected to wind load was modeled as the Ito＇ s stochastic differential equation. The state vector associated with such a model is a diffusion process. A continuous linearization strategy in the time-domain was adopted. Based on the solution series of its stochastic linearization equations, the formal probabilistic density of the structure response was developed by the path integral technique. It is shown by the numerical example of a guyed mast that compared with the frequency-domain method and the time-domain nonlinear analysis, the proposed approach is highlighted by high accuracy and effectiveness. The influence of the structure non-linearity on the dynamic reliability assessment is also analyzed in the example.

PROBABILITY MODEL AND SOLUTION ON EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS COMBINATION IN ALONG WIND RESISTANT DESIGN OF TALL-FLEXIBLE BUILDINGS

A model on the earthquake effects combination in wind resistant design of high-rise flexible structures is proposed in accordance with the probability method. Based on the Turkstra criteria, the stochastic characters of wind velocity, earthquake ground acceleration and excitations occurrence probability are taken into account and then the combination of the earthquake effects in structure wind resistant design is analyzed with the convolution approach. The results indicate that as for the tall flexible buildings whose lateral force is governed by wind loading, the maximum lateral loads verification with respect to the wind resistant design combined with earthquake effects may be more unfavorable compared with that in terms of the earthquake resistant design involving wind effects.

Study on longitudinal wind load calculation method of cables for cable-stayed bridge

Along with the expanding of span of cable-stayed bridge,wind load becomes a more and more important controlling factor for bridge the design.A very large proportion of the wind load acting on cables has exceeded that acting on deck.There was not any detailed prescript in Chinese code for calculation of longitudinal wind load on cables due to lack of theoretical research and experiment,and conservative simplified calculation was adopted during design,which leads to conservative and uneconomical design of structures.To resolve this problem,cable force experiment was carried out during the design of Sutong Bridge.By comparing with international research results,the calculation formula of longitudinal wind drag coefficient for cables was advanced to fill the blank of bridge wind resistant code of China,and has already been adopted in the Highway Bridge Wind Resistant Design Code(JTG/T D60-01-2004)with great significance for bridge engineering.

Determination method of load balance ranges for train operation safety under strong wind

The aerodynamic performances of a passenger car and a box car with different heights of windbreak walls under strong wind were studied using the numerical simulations, and the changes of aerodynamic side force, lift force and overturning moment with different wind speeds and wall heights were calculated. According to the principle of static moment balance of vehicles, the overturning coefficients of trains with different wind speeds and wall heights were obtained. Based on the influence of wind speed and wall height on the aerodynamic performance and the overturning stability of trains, a method of determination of the load balance ranges for the train operation safety was proposed, which made the overturning coefficient have nearly closed interval. A min(|A1|+|A2|), s.t. |A1|→|A2|(A1 refers to the downwind overturning coefficient and A2 refers to the upwind overturning coefficient)was found. This minimum value helps to lower the wall height as much as possible, and meanwhile, guarantees the operation safety of various types of trains under strong wind. This method has been used for the construction and improvement of the windbreak walls along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway(from Lanzhou to Urumqi, China).