Comfort assesment of tower-like slender structures under typhoons and earthquakes

This PhD study has developed a vibration comfort assessment framework by considering various factors. First, methodologies in signal processing for vibration comfort assessment are discussed. The torsion effect has been taken into consideration because of the asymmetry of the structure. Second, assessment of the comfort of top floor of the main tower and the contour map of serviceability are developed accounting for the torsion effect. Third, a procedure for assessing average comfort of the whole structure has been proposed by considering the structural profile and dynamic characteristics of the structure. Finally, a probability based reliability evaluation method of vibration comfort with the use of field monitoring responses is developed.;The framework is then applied to the comfort assessment of the Canton Tower during four typhoons, in which the wind properties are first obtained. The acceleration responses at different levels under typhoons have also been investigated. The vibration comfort assessment considering the wind properties and spatial distribution of sensors has been conducted. A regression model is obtained to account for the torsion effect and wind properties. The real probability distribution of acceleration peak values has been obtained and compared with that used in the design. In this study, the principle of equivalent normalization is introduced to evaluate the reliability index because both the monitoring-obtained distribution and the distribution assumed in design do not obey the normal distribution.;As for the comfort of the Canton Tower under earthquakes, the vibration acceleration responses at each monitoring level under earthquakes are first investigated and discussed, in terms of depth, magnitude, and distance of the earthquakes. The acceleration responses are then used to assess the comfort of the top floor and the structure as a whole. In this context, the comfort index for the whole structure is developed according to the earthquake parameters. The corresponding regression model is also derived. In consideration of the uncertainties in both structure responses and criteria used in this assessment framework, a probability based comfort assessment method for the top floor is proposed in which the distributions of peak values under earthquakes are addressed.