Field measurements of typhoon effects on a super tall building

Di Wang Tower located in Shenzhen has a height of approximately 325 m and was the tallest building in Mainland China when it was built several years ago. The aspect ratio between the building’s height and transverse width is about 9, which has largely exceeded the criteria in the current design codes and standards in China. This super tall building may be susceptible to severe vibration induced by strong winds. This paper describes some results obtained from the full-scale measurements of wind effects on Di Wang Tower under typhoon condition. The field data, such as wind speed, wind direction and acceleration responses were simultaneously and continuously measured from this building during the passage of Typhoon Sally in 1996. Detailed analysis of the field data was conducted to investigate the typhoon effects on the super tall building. The characteristics of the typhoon-generated wind and the structural responses of the building are presented and discussed in detail. Dynamic characteristics of the building are reported, and comparisons with those from the analysis of the three-dimensional finite element model of Di Wang Tower are made. The serviceability of this super tall building under typhoon conditions is assessed based on the field measurements. The damping ratios of the building during the typhoon are evaluated, and the amplitude-dependent characteristics of damping that were obtained using the random decrement technique are presented on the basis of the field measurements. Furthermore, the full-scale measurements are compared with the wind tunnel test results to verify the reliability of wind tunnel experimental techniques.