A prototype online database-enabled design framework for wind analysis/design of low-rise buildings

Abstract

This study presents a development of an advanced cyberbased database-enabled design module for low-rise buildings (DEDM-LR) which provides estimation of the wind-induced responses for main wind force resisting frames by making direct use of pressure time histories measured at a large number of pressure taps over a suite of building models. These responses may be considered in lieu of code-specified load effects in which the overall accuracy may be influenced by the inherent simplifications in codes. In addition, this new automated approach is particularly attractive and advantageous as it allows a web-based online analysis/design via intuitive user-friendly interfaces for both the input and output in terms of familiar web-style forms that are nowadays very common in most of web-based services. Presently, the DEDM-LR hosts an aerodynamic database developed by the Tokyo Polytechnic University (TPU), Japan for a variety of building configurations like flat, gable, and hip roofs under suburban terrain flow condition with immediate application to other databases. The paper shows the efficacy and validity of the DEDM-LR by walking through its details and examples on selected gable-roofed buildings. The architecture of DEDM-LR platform offers the ability to pool resources by hosting other databases that may become available in the near future.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

wind loads / low-rise building / pressure measurement / aerodynamics / building design / structural response / building codes / information technology (IT)

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided in part by a collaborative research project between the NatHaz Modeling Laboratory and the Global Center of Excellence (GCOE) at Tokyo Polytechnic University funded by MEXT, Japan. The authors also wish to specially acknowledge Drs. Nathan Regola and Ryan Lichtenwalter of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the University of Notre Dame for their contributions in web implementation of the DEDM-LR.

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2015 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg