Sustainable Structural Systems and Configurations for Tall Buildings

Abstract

Tall buildings are built with an abundant amount of resources because of their enormous scale. This paper presents sustainable structural engineering strategies for tall buildings, which will lead to the construction of tall buildings with less amount of structural material to meet design requirements. Selecting a particular structural system for tall building design involves many complex factors such as availability of resources, architectural aesthetics, spatial organizations and structural efficiency. Among these various factors, this study mainly investigates lateral stiffness-based structural efficiency of today’s prevalent structural systems for tall buildings, such as diagrids, braced tubes and outrigger systems. Design optimization strategies for important structural geometric configurations are studied. Further, optimal stiffness distribution between the building core and perimeter structure is discussed. Through the most appropriate system selection and design optimization, more sustainable built environments can be accomplished.