Wind-induced vibration assessment of tower cranes attached to high-rise buildings under construction

Abstract

When attached to slender super high-rise buildings, tower cranes are facing increasing risk of failure under extreme wind scenarios. To take an insight into such wind-induced vibration safety concern, some specifically customized computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling and simulation procedures are proposed to address the spatio-temporal feature of in-construction buildings and various working conditions of tower cranes. Based on a variety of CFD simulations, the shape coefficients of main building are determined for various construction scenarios. The dynamic response of a crane is analyzed by wind pressure history applied directly on its surface and the excitations at the supports transferred from main building. The construction stage, the uncertainties of predicted wind velocity, as well as overloading and connection stiffness, are included in the response simulation of the tower crane. All the possible failure scenarios can be well simulated by the proposed procedures combined with rational determination of related parameters.