Abstract:
The high frequency pressure integration method is one of the most accurate approaches for
obtaining wind loads on tall buildings in wind tunnel investigations. In this technique, simultaneous
time histories of the pressures at hundreds of taps on the surface of rigid building models are
recorded. To reach acceptable accuracy in the predictions of wind-induced loads and dynamic
response in this approach, the resolution of pressure taps on the building area should be fine enough
to capture the spatial distribution of the pressures. However, the complexity of the geometry and
model size of the buildings may provide limited space to install the associated tubing inside the
model. Thus, there will be a practical limit on the maximum number of taps that can be installed. In
this study, the influence of pressure tap resolution on the prediction of wind-induced loads and
dynamic response are examined for Building A, a benchmark tall building [1, 2]. The effect on
response predictions from different pressure tap layout densities on the rigid model is examined and
compared with the recommendations from the Australasian Wind Engineering Society Quality
Assurance Manual [3]. Time-averaged pressure coefficient distributions for a range of pressure tap
layout densities are illustrated. From these distributions, time histories of base shears and bending
moments and torsion are calculated and compared from the various pressure tap densities. Dynamic
responses including sway and twist moments, acceleration and displacement are predicted using
time domain analysis to investigate the effect of pressure tap resolution. It is found that horizontal
tap density has significantly more effect than vertical spacing on the predictions of wind-induced
loads and dynamic response.