Multipoint Synchronous Monitoring of Cladding Pressures on a 600-m-High Skyscraper during Super Typhoon Mangkhut 2018

Abstract

This paper analyzes the wind pressures on the claddings of a 600-m-high skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, during Super Typhoon Mangkhut on September 16, 2018. A synchronous monitoring system that included 48 pressure transducers was implemented to measure the cladding pressures of the skyscraper during the typhoon event. Based on field measurements, the mean, root-mean-square fluctuating, peak (maximum and minimum) pressure coefficients are presented and discussed. Then the mean and peak pressure coefficients are used to validate the design values stipulated in the design code of China. Comparative study finds that the design values of the peak pressure coefficients on the windward and leeward faces of the skyscraper are conservative, while those on the side faces are nonconservative. As for the mean pressure coefficients, the design values are conservative for all faces. Moreover, the non-Gaussian characteristics, power spectral densities, coherences, and correlations of the measured cladding pressures are analyzed to explore the mechanisms of pressure fluctuations on the four sides of the skyscraper. This paper aims to enhance understanding of cladding pressures of high-rise buildings under extreme wind conditions and, therefore, to provide useful information for future designs of wind-resistant skyscrapers in tropical cyclone–prone regions.