Tall Building Project Research Articles

Developing a preliminary cost estimation model for tall buildings based on machine learning

ABSTRACT The last half-century has witnessed an astronomical rise in the number of tall building projects in urban centers globally. These projects however frequently experience delays and total abandonment due to economic reasons. This study presents the application of Machine Learning techniques in the systematic development of a model to estimate the preliminary cost of tall building projects. The techniques considered include Multi-Linear Regression Analysis (MLRA), k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Multi Classifier Systems. Twelve models were developed and compared using standard performance metrics. The results revealed that the best performing model was based on a Multi Classifier System using KNN as the combining classifier, with a Correlation Coefficient (R2) of 0.81, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 6.09, and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 80.95%. This research showed the potential of modern digital technologies such as machine learning to solve problems of the construction industry. The procedure described in this study is of significant value to research and practice in the development of preliminary cost estimation models. The developed model can function as a decision support tool in the preliminary cost estimation stage of tall building projects.

Developing a machine learning model to predict the construction duration of tall building projects

Developing a machine learning model to predict the construction duration of tall building projects

O ensino da concepção estrutural no ateliê de projeto de edifícios verticais: um estudo de caso na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

A dificuldade de inserção da estrutura nas etapas iniciais do projeto arquitetônico tem sido discutida na literatura e uma das causas apontadas remete à questão do ensino, notadamente, a falta de integração entre o ensino de estruturas e o ensino do projeto em ateliê. No Brasil, na formação profissional generalista em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, essa falta de integração torna-se um desafio ainda maior face à variedade de informações e conhecimentos necessários ao desenvolvimento de projetos de edifícios verticais. O objetivo principal deste artigo é discutir a inserção da concepção estrutural na disciplina de Projeto de Arquitetura 4 (PA4) do Curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (CAU) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), cujo enfoque é a verticalidade. Metodologicamente, foram realizadas: análise documental da estrutura curricular do CAU e do plano de curso de PA4, observação sistematizada das atividades em ateliê, entrevistas com os alunos e o professor e, por fim, análise de dez projetos desenvolvidos pelas equipes. Com base nos dados coletados, foi possível verificar quais métodos e técnicas de ensino proporcionaram uma maior integração das estruturas no processo de projeto, ressaltando-se o desenvolvimento de um modelo físico no início do processo, a esquematização dos elementos estruturais nos estudos preliminares e o incentivo à concepção estrutural durante a elaboração do pavimento tipo. Constatou-se, também, que a integração da concepção estrutural no ateliê de projeto adiciona mais uma dificuldade ao processo de ensino/aprendizado, mas é uma prática muito mais reflexiva do que as formas usuais do ensino de estruturas.

Analysis of constructive effect and soil-structure interaction in tall building projects with shallow foundations on sandy soils

Abstract: The influence of incremental constructive effects (IE) and soil-structure interaction (SSI) on high-rise buildings of reinforced concrete with shallow foundations on sandy soils were analyzed. IE and SSI evaluations were carried out by the parameters of global instability, maximum horizontal displacements, foundation loads, and settlements of a symmetrical and non-symmetrical plant of a 23-storey building For the analysis of the IE, the variation of the modulus of elasticity was considered over time along with the phases of application of loads in the building. For ISS analysis, the continuous medium was considered, and the calculation model considers a multi-spring-mass system under the foundation of the building. The results show a significant redistribution in the foundation efforts and suggest that a failure in considering these effects along with the structure can lead to projects that do not meet the standard specifications regarding stability parameters and overall structure displacements.

Machine learning model for delay risk assessment in tall building projects

Risky projects such as tall buildings have suffered an alarming rate of increase in delays and total abandonment. Though numerous delay studies predominate, what is lacking is constructive research to develop tools and techniques to wrestle the inherent problem. Consequently, this paper presents the development of a machine learning model for delay risk assessment in tall building projects. Initially, 36 delay risk factors were identified from previous literature, and subsequently developed into surveys to determine the likelihood and consequence of the risk factors. Forty-eight useable responses obtained from subject matter experts were used to develop a dataset suitable for machine learning application. K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Ensemble methods were considered. Feature subset selection revealed that the most relevant independent variables include “slowness in decision making”; “delay in sub-contractors work”; “architects’/structural engineers’ late issuance of instruction”; and “waiting for approval of shop drawings and material samples”. The final results showed that the best model for predicting the risk of delay was based on ANN with a classification accuracy of 93.75%. Ultimately, the model developed in this study could support construction professionals in project risk management of tall buildings.

Effect of Soil\u2013Pile\u2013Structure Interaction on Seismic Design of Tall and Massive Buildings Through Case Studies

In this study, the effects of Soil-Pile-Structure Interaction (SPSI) forces on the seismic response of two tall and massive building projects were investigated. The first case study is an emergency hospital building located in south of Switzerland which is an existing reinforced concrete construction with concrete columns. Due to the importance of the building and its potential danger in failure cases of the load-bearing structure, seismic analysis was first carried out by using a 3D finite element model for the entire structure and a new FORTRAN program based on the enhanced cone model for the soil under the structure. The implementation of simulation was conducted in two different conditions, namely fixed-base behavior and soil–structure interaction, which are considered. Based on the results obtained by using the cone frustum approach, the period of vibration in the case of concentrated piles with the correction factor for pile-group action, exhibiting the value of (1.2 s), is increased up to 42% compared with the case of fixed-base (0.7 s). In the second phase, the dynamic responses of the Green Building at the MIT campus in Cambridge during three ground motions were studied through both approaches. It has shown that the first period of vibration in the case of the MIT Science building increased by about 11% (from 1.37 to 1.53 s) with respect to the SPSI effect. Besides, a comparison was made between the structural responses of the obtained cone method and 3D finite element simulation in ABAQUS which indicated that these results were in good agreement with the direct results. It was concluded that the enhanced cone model as a convenient, fast, and rather accurate method can be applied for foundation vibration and dynamic soil–structure interaction analysis in practical engineering projects whenever possible.

Assessment of Delay Factors for Structural Frameworks in Free-form Tall Buildings Using the FMEA

There are many factors in a common building project that are not relevant for free-form tall building projects, for example, the free-form planes or various shapes of buildings. Among the many risks present in particular in structural frameworks, the risk of delays is an important one and has a considerable effect on the entire project performance. Generally, a delay causes a decrease in constructability and an increase in cost, so eventually the productibility of the structural framework would decrease. Delay management of structural frameworks in free-form tall buildings is currently performed by project managers based on personal experience and intuition. This nonsystematic management results from the lack of data that are essential for the planning construction process reflected in the particular considerations of the free-form tall building. This study identified the delay factors that can occur in the structural framework of free-form tall building projects and analyzed priorities for delay management. First, the scope of free-form tall buildings was identified, and particular considerations for the structural framework in their construction were determined, such as plane, elevation, floor height, and structure. Delay factors for each category were recognized through interviews with experts with experience in such projects. To prioritize the delay factors, the occurrence and severity of each factor were surveyed. A risk priority number was calculated from the survey results, and the priority was analyzed. The results of this study could serve as preliminary data for the planning construction process of structural frameworks in free-form tall buildings.

Modeling Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Tall Building Construction Projects

Tall building construction projects involve two critical resources of manpower and equipment. Their usage, however, widely varies due to several factors affecting their productivity. Currently, no systematic study for estimating and increasing their productivity is available. What is prevalent is the use of empirical data, experience of similar projects and assumptions. As tall building projects are here to stay and increase, to meet the emerging demands in ever shrinking urban spaces, it is imperative to explore ways and means of scientific productivity models for basic construction activities: concrete, reinforcement, formwork, block work and plastering for the input of specific resources in a mixed environment of manpower and equipment usage. Data pertaining to 72 tall building projects in India were collected and analyzed. Then, suitable productivity estimation models were developed using multiple linear regression analysis and validated using independent field data. It is hoped that the models developed in the study will be useful for quantity surveyors, cost engineers and project managers to estimate productivity of resources in tall building projects.

Experimental study and finite element analysis of energy dissipating outriggers

The outriggers are widely adopted in tall and super-tall buildings. Their energy dissipation capacity can significantly influence the nonlinear seismic responses of the entire building structure. Based on an actual tall building project, the structural responses and energy dissipation capacities of three different outriggers were studied through experiments and finite element analyses. The test results of conventional outrigger specimen showed a steep deterioration after peak strength and an unfavorable energy dissipation capacity due to the global buckling of the braces and the local buckling of the chords after flexural yielding. Using buckling-restrained braces and reduced beam sections in a new design of the outriggers, the energy dissipation capacity and the ductility of the outriggers were significantly improved. The yield and peak strengths were further improved with the use of high-strength steel in chords on a third specimen. The finite element simulation of the three specimens indicated that the initial imperfection of the specimens shall be considered, and the developed finite element models yielded good agreements with the test results. The outcome of this work can provide additional references for the application of the outriggers in tall buildings.

Case Study of the Core Structure Succeeding Method for Tall Building Construction

AbstractIn tall building construction, the adoption of the appropriate construction method for the core structure process is critical in terms of both the structural aspect of the building and the schedule estimation. This study introduces a new core structure succeeding construction method (CSSCM) for tall buildings with steel-reinforced concrete structures to address the obstacles of the existing core structure preceding construction method (CSPCM) such as limited workspace, interference between activities, difficulties in wall and slab joint construction, and similar obstacles. The study also shows the technical details and compares the results from the applications of CSPCM and CSSCM to an actual tall building project. The results revealed that this method has potential as a cost-effective construction method for structural frameworks of tall buildings where short cycle times are required. In addition, the method provided stable working environments for the steel erection including outriggers and core...

Embodied Carbon Based Integrated Optimal Seismic Design for Super Tall Buildings with Viscoelastic Coupling Dampers

With the development of urban construction and building technology, more and more super tall buildings have been built. Due to its huge material and energy assumption, super tall buildings exert great impact on the environment. Embodied carbon is an important tool to measure the environmental impacts of super tall buildings, including the carbon emissions in the process of raw materials processing, structural member manufacturing and transportation. The embodied carbonof super tall buildings could be optimized by integrating the energy dissipation devices in the structural system. Viscoelastic coupling dampers(VCDs) is a kind of efficient energy dissipation devices. By replacing coupling beams in structural configurations, VCDs can effectively increase the level of inherent damping of structures, and thus reduce the wind-induced and earthquake-induced dynamic vibrations. Since the internal forces of structural members subject to lateral loads can also be reduced due to additional damping introduced by VCDs, optimization for the sectional dimension of structural components is made possible, accompanied by reductions to embodied carbon. Embodied carbon based integrated structural design method is introduced in this paper to minimize the embodied carbon of structures by integrating the VCDs. A super tall building located in high seismicity area is presented as an example to illustrate the proposed integrated optimal design method. The design case analysis results for a real super tall building project show that the proposed method is reasonable and can effectively reduce embodied carbon and total cost of super tall buildings.

Evaluation of mode-shape linearization for HFBB analysis of real tall buildings

The high frequency base balance (HFBB) technique is a convenient and relatively fast wind tunnel testing technique for predicting wind-induced forces for tall building design. While modern tall building design has seen a number architecturally remarkable buildings constructed recently, the characteristics of those buildings are significantly different to those that were common when the HFBB technique was originally developed. In particular, the prediction of generalized forces for buildings with 3-dimensional mode shapes has a number of inherent uncertainties and challenges that need to be overcome to accurately predict building loads and responses. As an alternative to the more conventional application of general mode shape correction factors, an analysis methodology, referred to as the linear-mode-shape (LMS) method, has been recently developed to allow better estimates of the generalized forces by establishing a new set of centers at which the translational mode shapes are linear. The LMS method was initially evaluated and compared with the methods using mode shape correction factors for a rectangular building, which was wind tunnel tested in isolation in an open terrain for five incident wind angles at <TEX>$22.5^{\circ}$</TEX> increments from <TEX>$0^{\circ}$</TEX> to <TEX>$90^{\circ}$</TEX>. The results demonstrated that the LMS method provides more accurate predictions of the wind-induced loads and building responses than the application of mode shape correction factors. The LMS method was subsequently applied to a tall building project in Hong Kong. The building considered in the current study is located in a heavily developed business district and surrounded by tall buildings and mixed terrain. The HFBB results validated the versatility of the LMS method for the structural design of an actual tall building subjected to the varied wind characteristics caused by the surroundings. In comparison, the application of mode shape correction factors in the HFBB analysis did not directly take into account the influence of the site specific characteristics on the actual wind loads, hence their estimates of the building responses have a higher variability.

Application of Modularized Low-Position Jacking Formwork System in Core-Tube Building

Compared with other template construction technology, jacking formwork system has the advantages of self-climbing, less operating personnel, good safety and good construction quality, with relatively innovative construction techniques and technology and has been widely used in the construction of tall buildings in recent years. The lifting principles and characteristics of jacking formwork were introduced in the paper. Based on the application in a tall building project, construction technologies of the formwork were introduced.

Calculation and Analysis of a Tall Building Seismic Isolation Design

In this paper, we calculate and analyze a tall building project of seismic isolation design. It is a frame-shear wall structure, which has twelve stories on the ground. And then, we use the time history analysis method to calculate the isolation structure. It is found that isolation equipment can extend the period of the structure, reduce the story drift in frequency earthquake. And it also can control the response of the structure. In rare earthquake, the story drift can meet the demand of unclasped; the displacement and force of the equipment can satisfy the demand of the code for seismic design of building.

비정형 초고층 건물의 변동 풍압

Recent tall buildings tend to have unconventional shapes as a prevailing, which is effective for suppressing across-wind responses. Suppression of across-wind responses is a major factor in tall building projects, and the so called aerodynamic modification method is comprehensively used. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the pressure fluctuations on tapered and setback tall buildings, including peak pressures, power spectra and coherences through the synchronous multi-pressure sensing system techniques. And flow measurements around the models were conducted to investigate the condition of vortex shedding. The results show that by tapering and setback, different distributions of mean pressure coefficients at leeward surface were found, which is caused by the geometric characteristics of the models. And the power spectra of wind pressures at sideward surface become wideband and the peak frequencies are different depending on heights, which makes the correlation near the Strouhal component low or even negative. The differences in shedding frequencies were also confirmed by the flow fields around the models.

Tall-Building Projects Sustainability Indicator (TPSI): A New Design and Environmental Assessment Tool for Tall Buildings

The paper presents the features of Tall-building Projects Sustainability Indicator (TPSI)—a “Sustainability Rating System” that specializes in tall-building projects. The system comprises two components; the “Technical Manual” in the form of a booklet and the “Calculator” in the form of an Excel tool. It can be used as a “design tool” and/or as a “checklist” to compare and to improve the sustainable performance of tall-building design schemes. At the same time, the system can be used to evaluate the sustainability of existing tall-building projects. The first version of the TPSI rating system (TPSI 2012 Version) was released as an online tool (GreenLight) and thoroughly examined and validated by multiple parties.

A decision support system for super tall building development

SUMMARYSuper tall building projects commonly inherit a slow and lengthy decision making process due to financial uncertainties, in spite of large investments. However, current decision‐making practices depend upon detailed cost estimating and scheduling during the design development phase and not rough cost estimating and scheduling during the schematic design phase. Discrepancies between a project budget and program with estimated construction cost and construction period often result in architect and consultants having to perform costly re‐design work. To mitigate these issues, this study proposes a decision support system (DSS) model. An interim design development phase is introduced between the schematic design phase and the design development phase. Design alternative generation, database, cost and schedule estimation modules are developed. The design alternative generation module provides design alternatives that change proportionately in response to increases or decreases in the number of building stories. The database module is established for cost and schedule estimation modules. The cost and schedule estimation modules produce construction costs and construction period for design alternatives. Finally, the proposed DSS is validated through the case study of an ongoing real super tall building. Ultimately, the new DSS can assist project control groups in performing efficient and financially beneficial decision making in terms of construction cost and construction period. This research provides a fundamental step towards the development of the DSS for super tall building projects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Tall Buildings, Design, and Technology: Visions for the Twenty-First Century City

The world population will drastically increase in the future, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Even in Europe, where some cities are experiencing a negative growth rate, on the whole the population will steadily increase. In Australia and Canada, as well, population will steadily increase, although in the United States the growth rate will be higher because of the influx of immigrants and natural growth. Thus, the threat of overpopulation is looming over the entire world. It is expected that the urban population will almost double in the coming 40 years: it will increase from 3.5 billion in 2010 to 6.5 billion in 2050 worldwide (United Nations, 2007). The migration of the rural population to cities is a major cause of this increase. People want to move where there are other people, din and bustle, a flurry of activities, social and recreational services, and above all employment opportunities. Once people get used to urban living, they rarely go back to the country side. Therefore, urban planners, architects, developers, social scientists, and political leaders have to ask the following hard questions: • What can be done with existing cities in order to accommodate the increase in the urban population? • How should cities be regenerated; and how can new cities be built? • Can cities expand laterally without sprawling and destroying valuable agricultural land? • Will a vertical expansion be a viable option? This paper examines these questions by studying tall buildings and associated technological developments, and their impact on cities. It first provides an historical account on the early development of tall buildings. Next, it examines visionary tall building projects proposed by architects and urban planners from various parts of the world. Then, the paper engages the reader in a discussion on the issue of height limit from economic, technological, and ego perspectives. The paper closes by emphasizing the significant role of tall and supertall buildings in twenty-first-century cities.

Tpsi – Tall-Building Projects Sustainability Indicator

The paper presents the features of TPSI (Tall-building Projects Sustainability Indicator) – a ‘Sustainable Rating System’ that specializes for tall building projects. The system was developed by Binh K. Nguyen and Hasim Altan at the University of Sheffield, UK in 2010. It can be used as a ‘design tool’ of a ‘checklist’ to compare and to improve the sustainable performance of tall-building design schemes and at the same time can be used to evaluate the sustainability of existing tall building projects.

Structural Performance Assessment and Control of Super Tall Buildings During Construction

This paper addresses the structural performance assessment and control for super tall buildings during construction. Due to increasing structural complexity and economic investment of super tall buildings in recent years, the construction duration prolongs. Consequently, potential safety hazards may occur in structure when suffering from horizontal loads and vertical loads as well as non-loading effects in construction stage. The authors introduced performance based structural design (PBSD) methodology for the performance assessment and control of different structural states in different construction stages. The situation that the structural system will change along with the ongoing of construction procedure is considered. The critical issues with PBSD of super tall buildings during construction are fully addressed. By considering both gravity loads and lateral loads, the design criteria for construction stage structural systems were firstly discussed. A super tall building project was taken as an example in this paper to illustrate the proposed structural performance assessment during construction. It was shown that the proposed structural performance assessment method during construction phase is feasible and effective. It was also found that the arrangement of the lock-ins of outriggers for different construction stages is the key measure to control the performance of the mega frame outrigger corewall structures during construction.