A Highly Efficient Numerical Approach Using Fluid–Structure Interaction to Estimate Responses of Super-Tall Structures

Abstract

Modern super-tall structures are extremely prone to wind-induced loads especially due to its inherent slenderness and the use of modern strong yet lightweight materials. Numerical methods via the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have gained popularity in wind engineering applications and have been found to be a reliable tool at estimating wind loads. However, fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations still pose a challenge due to the complexities involved in the simulation mechanism. Current commercial packages that are available are not capable of providing results within a feasible time frame. Thus, this paper presents an alternate numerical framework to estimate wind-induced structural responses of complex super-tall structures. A novel and efficient one-way uncoupled FSI technique is presented where it is evaluated against a commercial two-way FSI technique and wind tunnel test of a multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) aeroelastic model. It is shown that the novel method is capable of providing higher quality results in terms of structural responses in comparison to the commercially available two-way FSI method. The study shows that using the correct modelling techniques and the novel pressure mapping technique introduced, FSI modelling is feasible and can be used effectively for the design of wind-sensitive structures.