Reliability of wind -sensitive buildings: A serviceability design consideration

The use of Passive Energy Dissipation Devices (PEDD) is intended to reduce the response of structures subjected to natural loads such as wind loading. Some of the most popular PEDD are the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) and Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD). The use of TMDs to reduce the wind-induced torsional response of structures has been investigated in the literature by assuming that the wind excitations can be approximated by harmonic forces; however, such an assumption is not realistic. Further, wind load effects (i.e., translational force and torsional moment) are correlated. The effectiveness of different linear or nonlinear TMDs to reduce structural responses including the torsional responses was investigated. For the formulation, the structures are simplified by using their generalized properties, the interaction between the structure and dampers is considered and, the correlated time history wind load effects are incorporated. The results from the time history analyses show that the dampers with linear or nonlinear damping mechanism are effective in reducing the structural response and that the selection of optimum dampers, especially the optimum damping coefficient of the dampers, is affected by the correlation between the wind load effects.;Calibration of the perception wind-induced acceleration response levels and serviceability design factors that are to be used for design checking was carried out for a range of target reliability levels. The calibration considered uncertainty in the wind speed, structural dynamic characteristics, and human perception of motion. Sets of serviceability limit state design criteria, and design factors are developed and recommended for design checking.;Key words: Acceleration; Buildings; Calibration; Design factors; Human perception of motion; Serviceability limit states; Torsional response; Tuned mass dampers; Tuned liquid dampers; Wind forces.;To suppress the wind-induced vibration, modifications to the structural dynamic properties of the designed structure could be made, although, in some cases, such modifications could be economically prohibitive and the alternative of using PEDD such as the TMDs or TLDs can be adopted to reduce the wind-induced motion below a specified tolerable serviceability criterion or specified serviceability limit state (SLS) criterion. Parametric analyses were carried out to estimate the serviceability reliability (i.e., the probability that along-wind- or crosswind-induced motion is not perceived by the inhabitants of a building without or with the TMDs or TLDs) if the buildings are designed to just meet the same SLS criterion. For the analyses, different structures and characteristics of the wind as well as the perception of motion are considered. The numerical results suggest that if the structures are designed or retrofitted without or with optimum tuned linear mass dampers and satisfying the same SLS criterion, the serviceability reliability is very consistent if the inherent correlation between the wind forces is considered in design. If the correlation is ignored in the design, in many cases a slightly less conservative design (as compared to that by considering correlation) is achieved. However, the mentioned reliability consistency is not achieved if the nonlinear mass dampers or TLDs are used to reduce the vibration.