THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

M.SC.(ENG.) EXAMINATION

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

TALL BUILDING STRUCTURES (CIVL6045)

Date: 18 May 2012 Time: 6:30- 8:30pm (2 hrs)

Open book examination.

Answer any THREE questions.

All questions carry equal marks.

Use of Calculators:
Only approved calculators as announced by the Examinations Secretary can be used in
this examination. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the calculator operates
satisfactorily, and the candidate must record the name and type of the calculator used on
the front page of the examination script.

1. (a) When a pair of coupled shear walls is subjected to lateral loads, vertical shear
and end moments are induced in the coupling beams. Discuss the effects of
such vertical shear and end moments induced in the coupling beams. Sketch
the variation of the vertical shear with height and hence explain why during an
earthquake, failure of the coupling beams usually starts at about Y. height of
the building. (10 marks)

(b) Based on the analytical solution of the continuous connection method, derive a
structural parameter that may be interpreted as a measure of the degree of
coupling. Explain why the degree of coupling is generally larger for a taller
building. (9 marks)

(c) Two shear walls, both having an overall height of 150.0 m and a thickness of
0.5 m, are coupled by a connecting beam of 0.5 m breadth x 0.6 m depth at
each storey, as shown in Figure Q1. The coupled shear wall structure is
subjected to a uniformly distributed load of 70 kN/m in the in-plane direction.
Assuming that the walls are rigidly fixed at their bases,
(i) evaluate the bending moment in each wall at the base; and (9 marks)
(ii) determine the maximum shear force in the coupling beams. (5 marks)

2. (a) Discuss how wall-frame interaction arises and give a brief account of its
effects on the lateral load distribution to the wall and frame parts of the
building. For a concentrated lateral load applied at the top of the building,
sketch the load path through the wall and frame parts of the building. Hence,
discuss the contribution of the frame part of the building in resisting lateral

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 loads. Explain why the contribution of the frame part is larger in taller
buildings than in shorter buildings. (17 marks)

(b) A 40-storey composite wall-frame building has a floor plan as shown in Figure
Q2. The total height of the building is 140 m. A uniformly distributed load of
70 kN per metre height is applied to the building in the y-direction. The
concrete of the building has an elastic modulus of28 GPa.
(i) Evaluate the equivalent shear stiffness of the frame part of the building
and the relative stiffness parameter a of the building. (6 marks)
(ii) Find the maximum deflection of the building. (3 marks)
(iii) Evaluate the proportion of the wind moment taken by the frame part of the
building at the base. (3 marks)
(iv) Evaluate the proportion of the horizontal shear taken by the frame part of
the building at the base and plot the variation of the horizontal shear in the
frame part with height. (4 marks)

3. (a) It is a common practice to assume that the rotation of a beam-wall joint is the
same as the rotation of the horizontal rigid arm linking the beam end to the
node at the centroidal axis of the wall. Is this appropriate? If not, how should
the rotational degree of freedom at a beam-wall joint be defined? Discuss the
errors that may be caused. ( 17 marks)

(b) Outline briefly the various existing methods of allowing for the local
deformations at beam-wall joints. Discuss whether these methods can be
applied when the coupled shear/core wall structure is to be analysed by the
finite element method. (16 marks)

4. (a) Without going through detailed analysis, answer the following questions about
the shear Jag in framed tube structures:
(i) What are the major structural parameters determining the degrees of shear
Jag in the web and flange panels, respectively? (6 marks)
(ii) Compare the degree of shear Jag in short buildings (~ 20 stories) and that
in tall buildings (<:40 stories). Hence, discuss the effectiveness of framed
tube structures in short and tall buildings. (4 marks)
(iii) In framed tube structures, the corner columns are often designed to be
larger than the other columns. Why? (2 marks)
(iv) Suggest two methods of reducing the shear Jag in framed tube structures.
Illustrate your answer with sketches. ( 6 marks)

(b) Without going through detailed analysis, answer the following questions about
the provision of outriggers in tall buildings:
(i) What are the optimum locations if one, two or three levels of outriggers
are to be provided? (6 marks)
(ii) The central core wall and the perimeter columns may have differential
axial shortenings. Discuss the adverse effects of such differential axial
shortenings and explain how this problem could be resolved. (9 marks)

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 Walls 0.5m thick

s
0

-
0
'f)

Beams
0.5mx 0.6m

Storey
height
= 3.75m

I, 75m 5 Om

Figure Ql

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beam 0.6m 0.6m
it tt
column
6.0m 6.0m

walls

Note: All columns are of size 0.8m x 0.8m

and all beams are of size 0.5m x 0.5m

Figure Q2

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