Observation of wind fields over different terrains and wind effects on a super-tall building during a severe typhoon and verification of wind tunnel predictions

Abstract

Wind effects are of major concern in the design of super-tall buildings, especially those located in tropical cyclone-prone regions. In July 2012, Hong Kong encountered one of the most severe typhoons in the history, Vicente (1208). This study investigates the impact of Vicente to Hong Kong with emphasis on the wind fields over different terrain conditions and the wind effects on a 420-m-high super-tall building. Within a time period of 18h that covered the passage of Vicente in Hong Kong, six sets of wind data were collected from five meteorological stations and a structural health monitoring (SHM) system installed in the super-tall building. In this study, the typhoon wind fields over varied types of terrains are revealed, the structural dynamic properties of the super-tall building as well as its serviceability are evaluated, and finally wind tunnel predictions of structural responses are validated by the field measurements from SHM system. This study aims to investigate the typhoon-generated wind characteristics over different terrains and the wind effects on a super-tall building located in a metropolis during a severe typhoon as well as verification of the accuracy of wind tunnel testing results, so as to provide useful information for the wind-resistant design of high-rise buildings in tropical cyclone-prone regions.