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Computer Program for Along -Wind Response of Tall Buildings

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 Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Wind Engineering - 2007,
SERC, Chennai, 30th October to 1st November 2007, pp.259-267

Computer Program for Along - Wind Response of Tall Buildings

Bodhisatta Hajra1 and P.N. Godbole2

1
Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Canada
2
Department of Applied Mechanics, VNIT Nagpur-440011

Abstract

The present Indian Standard for wind-load on structures-IS:875(part-3)-1987, gives the

recommendations for determining only the along-wind load on tall buildings, and does not give any
procedure to determine the across-wind loads. For along-wind loads on tall building the code uses
the Gust-Factor method based on hourly mean wind speed and gives a lengthy procedure involving
figures and charts with closely spaced curves, which is not convenient for use in practice. Realizing
that the present Indian standard needs revision, IIT Kanpur has released a document titled” Review of
Indian Wind code-IS: 875(part-3)-1987”, which gives a systematic and simple method for computing
along wind load on tall buildings. This paper discusses a user-friendly computer program developed
by the authors in C-language for the determination of along-wind load on tall building by both the
methods.

Keywords: Tall Building, Wind Loads, Gust factor, codal provisions, along-wind.

INTRODUCTION

Most international codes and standards utilize the “gust loading factor” (GLF) approach for assessing
the dynamic along-wind loads and their effects on tall structures. The concept of the GLF for civil
engineering applications was first introduced by Davenport (1967), following the statistical treatment
of buffering in aeronautical sciences (Liepmann 1952). The present Indian Standard for Wind Loads
on Buildings and Structures (IS:875(part-3)-1987) also recommends Gust Factor (GF) or Gust
Effectiveness Factor (GEF) for calculating along-wind load or drag load on flexible slender structures
which include tall buildings. The procedure makes use of hourly mean wind speed and cumbersome
charts to arrive at the Gust Factor.

The proposed revision for IS:875(part-3)-1987 [prepared by Department of Civil Engineering, IIT
Kanpur under GSDMA project on building codes] simplifies the computation of along-wind load on
flexible slender structures using a 3 second gust speed prevalent in many other international codes and
avoids use of charts which were difficult to interpolate.

This paper discusses a user-friendly computer program developed by the authors in C-language for the
determination of along-wind load on tall building as per present Indian standard code, which replaces
the figures and charts by “Least-square fit” curves to obtain parameters required for the computation,

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 Computer Program for Along - Wind Response of Tall Buildings

and by the suggested document prepared by the IIT Kanpur. Examples of tall building have been
taken and the results obtained by the program have been compared with calculations performed
manually. Graphical results have also been presented to show the comparison between the present IS-
code and the Revision IITK.

GUST LOADING FACTOR

Following the concept of the GLF approach of Davenport (1967), the peak Equivalent Static Wind
Load (ESWL) on tall buildings provided in codes and standards is described by a product of the mean
wind force and an appropriate amplification factor.

∧T τ
P ( z ) = Gτ . P ( z ) (1)
where

∧T
P ( z ) = peak ESWL at height z during observation time T, usually one hour (1 h) or 10 minutes (10
min) for most civil engineering applications; superscript τ = averaging time used to evaluate the mean
τ
wind velocity; and P (z) = mean wind force with averaging time “τ”, which is given as
τ
P ( z ) = q( z ).C d . B (2)
in which Cd = drag force coefficient; B = width of the building normal to the direction of wind; and q
(z) = 1/2 ρ V (z) 2 = mean wind dynamic pressure, ρ = air density and V (z) = mean wind velocity
evaluated at height z above ground. The gust factor Gτ is given by

G τ = GYT / Gqτ (T ) (3)

in which GYT = GLF for displacement and Gqτ (T) = gust factor (GF) for wind dynamic pressure. The
displacement GLF takes into account the correlation structure of random wind field, wind structure
interaction, and the dynamic amplification introduced by the structure. Following the current practice
in the GLF approach of Davenport (1967), it can be evaluated by
T
GYT = Yˆ T ( z ) / Y ( z ) (4)
where
T
Yˆ T and Y = peak and mean wind-induced displacement response, respectively.

The above discussion clarifies the important role of averaging time. On the one hand, when τ = T, the
wind load model in Eq. (1) reduces to the general GLF model by Davenport (1967). On the other
hand, when using mean wind velocity with a shorter averaging time, G in Eq. (1) may be significantly

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 Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Wind Engineering - 2007

less than the GLF in Eq. (4).A summary of the averaging time for the basic wind velocity or pressure
and GLF, employed in codes and standards is given in Table 1.

All procedures for estimating GLF in major codes and standards are based on the preceding
expressions, but differ in their modeling of the wind field and structural dynamic characteristics.
These details have led to a large scatter in the predicted values of the GLF and wind load effects based
on distinct formulations.

Furthermore, as a result of several mathematical manipulations that have been introduced by

individual codes and standards, the final expressions for the GLF do not follow exactly the same form.

INDIAN CODAL PROVISIONS FOR ALONG-WIND LOAD

The Part 3 of present Indian standard ‘Code of Practice for Design Loads (other than Earthquake) for
Buildings and Structures’, deals with the Wind Loads. This code on Wind Loads IS-875 (part 3) was
last revised in 1987 and is due for revision now to incorporate the current state of knowledge and
practice in the area of Wind Engineering. Most leading codes have tried to keep pace with this
changing scenario. Noting that the Indian Standard Code of Practice on Wind Loads IS: 875(part-3)-
1987 needs revision to keep pace with the other International Standards, the Department of Civil
Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, under Gujarat State Disaster Management
Authority Project (GSDMA project) took up this initiative of revising the present Indian Standard
Code of Practice on Wind Loads. There are major differences in computation of along-wind load
between the present Indian Standard on Wind Loads (IS:875 (part 3)-1987) and the proposed revision
document prepared by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (Revision IITK) which have been
summarized as follows.

(a) IS: 875 (Part 3)–1987

The code gives only the methods of calculating along-wind or drag load by using gust factor method.
Further, the code recommends the use of hourly mean wind speed for the computation of Gust factor
and gives a procedure to obtain hourly mean wind speed from regional basic wind speed. The
procedure to obtain the gust factor is rather involved as it requires use of four figures (figures-8
through 11 in the code) to obtain certain variables. The figures contain closely spaced curves which
make the interpolation difficult and approximate.

Along-wind load on a structure on a strip area (Ae) at any height (z) is given by,

Fz = C f . Ae . Pz .G (5)

where
Fz = along-wind load on the structure at any height z corresponding to strip area Ae,
Cf = force coefficient for the building,
Ae = effective frontal area considered for the structure at height z,
PΖ = design pressure at height z due to hourly mean wind obtained as

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 Computer Program for Along - Wind Response of Tall Buildings

PΖ = 0.6 Vz2 (N/m2) (6)

VZ = Vb k1k2 k3 (7)
where
VZ = hourly mean wind speed in m/s, at height z;
Vb = regional basic wind speed in m/s
k1 = risk coefficient
k 2 = terrain, height and structure size factor; and
k3 = topography factor
G = gust factor given by:

 S E
 B (1 + φ ) + β 
2
G = 1+ gfr (8)
 
To compute Gust factor, the values of gfr, B, S and E are interpolated from the figures 8 through 11 of
IS: 875(part-3) 1987. β is damping coefficient as given in Table 34 of IS: 875(part-3):1987 and φ =
gfr B /4 and is to be accounted only for buildings less than 75m high in terrain Category 4 and for
buildings less than 25 m high in terrain Category 3, and is to be taken as zero in all other cases.

(b) REVISION IITK

In the document ‘Review of Indian Wind Code – IS: 875 (part-3)–1987’, the method to obtain the
along-wind load using gust factor method is very much similar to revised Australian Code AS/NZ
1170.2–02. The gust factor is renamed as Dynamic Response Factor (Cdyn) and is calculated using 3
sec gust speed and a set of expressions which do not involve use of figures or charts. Thus the
calculations are rather straight forward and simple.

Along-wind load on a structure on a strip area (Ae) at any height (z) is given by:

Fz = Cf Ae Pz Cdyn (9)
where
Fz = along-wind load on the structure at any height z corresponding to strip area Ae,
Cf = force coefficient for the building,
Ae = effective frontal area considered for the structure at height z,
Pz = design pressure at height z due to 3 sec gust velocity
Cdyn = Dynamic Response Factor (= total load/ mean load), and is given by
0.5
 2 H g SE 
2

1 + 2 I h  g v Bs + s R 
 β 
C dyn =
(1 + 2 g v I h ) (10)
where Ih = turbulence intensity, obtained from Table 3 in Revision IITK, by setting z equal to h

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 Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Wind Engineering - 2007

gv = peak factor for the upwind velocity fluctuations, which shall be taken as 3.5
Bs = background factor, which is a measure of the slowly varying background component of the
fluctuating response, caused by low frequency wind speed variations
Hs = height factor for the resonant response = 1 + (s/h)2
gR = peak factor for resonant response (1 hour period)

FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM

The program is developed in C-language and can be used to calculate along-wind load, Shear force
and bending moments at a given interval for a tall building. Calculations can be made using the IS-
875-(Part-3):1987 or Revision IITK as desired. During the development of the program various
“curve-fitting techniques” have also been used to convert some of the graphs used in the IS-875 code,
into equations, which have been used in the program. The program makes use of “if-else”
statements,”for loops” and “arrays.

INPUT

Height=200m
Least Lateral Dimension=33m
Breadth=33m
Enter the Grade of Concrete: M25
Terrain category=4
Interval=10m
Basic wind speed=50m/s

APPLICATION TO TALL BUILDINGS

Shear force and bending moment plots are shown in Figures 1 to 4. Figures 5 to 8 compare the Shear
force and bending moment between the IS-875(part-3):1987 and Revision IITK.The building
particulars are given in Table 2. A sample input and its corresponding output for the 200 metre tall
building are shown in Figures 9 and 10,using the IS: 875-(part-3):1987 code.

DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

The Computer program developed for determining the along-wind load on tall buildings using the
Gust factor method have been tested thoroughly by varying the height of the building and the terrain
categories. Figures 1 and 2 give the plot for shear force and bending moment for a 200m tall building
in Terrain category 4.It can be seen that the results are very close to those obtained by hand
calculations. A similar trend is observed with the 96 meter building in terrain category-3(Figures 3
and 4) indicating the validity of the program in interpolating the values as per Figures-8 through 11 of
IS: 875(part-3):1987.

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 Computer Program for Along - Wind Response of Tall Buildings

The values as obtained for a 200 m tall building in terrain category 1 from IS: 875(Part-3):1987 and
Revision IITK are in close agreement (Figures 7 and 8) while for terrain category 4 the values show
considerable variation (Figures 5 and 6), which suggests a need for revision in the present IS-code so
that values can be obtained consistent with other international codes.

The Computer program developed simplifies the determination of along-wind load on a tall building
using the gust factor method and can thus be useful for practicing engineers. Any information
pertaining to the program can be obtained by corresponding with the authors.

REFERENCES

[1] Bodhisatta Hajra and P.N.Godbole (2006),”Along-wind load on tall building-Indian codal
provisions”, Proceedings of the third NCWE-2006, held at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, pp-
285,292
[2] Davenport (1967). “Gust loading factors.” J. Struct. Div., ASCE, 93(3), 11-34.
[3] IS – 875 – (part 3) – 1987 – Wind Loads Bureau of Indian Standards, Manak Bhawan, New
Delhi.
[4] Liepmann 1952 “On the application of statistical concepts to the buffeting problem,” J.
Aeronaut. Sci., 19(12), 793-800.
[5] Review of Indian Wind Code – IS – 875 (part 3) 1987 Document No. IITK – GSDMA – Wind 01
– V 2.0, IITK – GSDMA Project on Building Codes, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT
Kanpur, India (2004).
[6] Solari (1993 b) “Gust buffeting. II: Dynamic along-wind response.” J. Struct. Eng., 119(2), 383-
397.
[7] Vellozzi and Cohen (1968) “Gust response factors” J. Struct. Div., ASCE, 94(6), 1295-1313.
[8] Vickery (1970) “On the reliability of gust loading factors” Proc., Technical Meeting Concerning
Wind Loads on Buildings and Structures, Building Science Series 30, National Bureau of
Standards, Washington, D. C., 296-312.

Table 1: Averaging Time in Codes and Standards

ASCE 7 IS 875-1987 Revision IITK
Basic wind velocity 3s 3 sa 3s
Gust loading factor 3s 1h 3s
a
Although the basic wind velocity is defined 3 s gust in IS 875 (part-3) – 1987 it is converted to the 1
h mean wind velocity to evaluate the gust loading factor and the wind-induced response of dynamic
structures.

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 Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Wind Engineering - 2007

Table 2: Building Particulars

Parameter Building-1 Building-2
Height 96m 200m
Breadth 24m 33m
Least Lateral Dimension 12m 33m
Basic Wind Speed 50m/s 50m/s
NOTE: Breadth of the building is considered normal to the wind direction

BM V/S HEIGHT(IS-875,TC-4)
SF v/s HEIGHT(IS-875,TC-4)

HEIGHT(m)
300
250 program PROGRAM
200
HEIGHT(m)

200 results RESULTS

100
150
0 HAND
100 hand
50 0 5E+0 1E+0 2E+0 CALCULATION
calculation
0 results 5 6 6 RESULTS
0 5000 10000 BENDING MOMENT(kN-
m)
SHEAR FORCE(k N)

Fig. 1 & 2: SF and BM for 200 M Tall Building (IS:875-(Part-3)-1987, TC-4)

SF vs HEIGHT,REVISION IITK,TC-3 BM vs HEIGHT,REVISION IITK,TC-3

120
150
HEIGHT (m)

100
PROGRAM
HEIGHT(m)

program results
80 100 RESULTS
60
hand-calculation 50
40 results HAND
20 0 CALCULATION
RESULTS
0 0 200000 400000
0 2000 4000 6000 8000
SHEAR FORCE(kN) BENDING MOMENT(kN-m)

Fig. 3 & 4: SF and BM for 96 M Tall Building (Revision IITK, TC-3)

SF vs HEIGHT,TC-4
BM vs HEIGHT,TC-4
250

200 250
REVISION IITK
HEIGHT(m)
HEIGHT (m)

200 REVISION
150
150 IITK
IS-875(PART-
100 3):1987 100
IS-875
50 (PART-3):1987
50
0
0 0 1E+06 2E+06 3E+06
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
BENDING MOMENT(kN-m)
SHEAR FORCE(kN)

Fig. 5 & 6: SF and BM for 200 M Building (Revision IITK and IS: 875-1987, (TC-4)

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 Computer Program for Along - Wind Response of Tall Buildings

SF vs HEIGHT(TC-1) BM vs HEIGHT,TC-1

250 300
REVISION IITK
HEIGHT(m)

HEIGHT(m)
200
REVISION IITK 200
150 IS-875(PART-
100 3):1987
100 IS-875(PART-
3):1987 0
50

0 0 1E+062E+063E+06
0 10000 20000 30000
BENDING MOMENT(kN-m)
SHEAR FORCE(kN)

Fig. 7 & 8: SF and BM for 200 M Building (Revision IITK and IS:875-(Part-3)-1987, TC-1)

Fig. 9: Output Screen for 200m Building using BORLAND-C

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 Proceedings of the Fourth National Conference on Wind Engineering - 2007

Fig. 10: Output Screen for 200m Building(MS-EXCEL)

267

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