Analytical Study on Effect of Geometry of Tall Buildings on Diagrid Structural Systems Subjected to Lateral Loads

Abstract

Structural design of high rise buildings is governed by lateral loads due to wind or earthquake. As the height of building increases, the lateral load resisting system becomes more important than the structural system that resists the gravitational loads. Recently, diagrid structural system are widely used for tall buildings due to its structural efficiency and flexibility in architectural planning. Diagrid structural system is made around the perimeter of building in the form of a triangulated truss system by intersecting the diagonal and horizontal members. Diagonal members in diagrid structural systems can carry gravity loads as well as lateral loads. Lateral loads are resisted by axial action of the diagonals compared to bending of vertical columns in framed tube structure. The structural efficiency of diagrid system also helps in avoiding interior and corner columns, thereby allowing significant flexibility with the floor plan. In this paper, effect of lateral loads on steel diagrid buildings are studied. Square and rectangular buildings of same plan area with diagrid structural system is considered for the study. Diagrid modules extending upto 2,4,6,8 and 12 storeys are evaluated. Static analysis for the gravity loads, wind and earthquake and response spectrum analysis are carried out for these different combinations of plan shape and diagrid modules and performance of all these diagrid models i.e., storey displacement, storey drift and modal time period are evaluated and compared in this study.