Tall building structural analysis based on analytical formulation: a case study in Wenzhou, China

Abstract

Tall buildings are complex structural systems that require efficient and accurate analysis methods, particularly during the early stages of design, when rapid decision-making is crucial. Although Finite Element (FE) modeling offers detailed insight into structural behavior, it often requires significant time and computational effort. In contrast, simplified analytical approaches can provide faster assessments with sufficient accuracy for preliminary design evaluations. This study applies an established analytical method, the so-called General Algorithm (GA), to assess the global dynamic response and the stress distribution of structural components of a 38-story high-rise building under wind-induced lateral loads, according to the Chinese standard (GB 50009-2012). The selected case study, located in Wenzhou, China, features an open shear-wall structural system with a regular cross sectional geometry. The analytical model yields results for displacements, natural frequencies, and mode shapes which show acceptable agreement with the original FE design documentation. A detailed stress analysis is conducted for a critical open shear-wall section, identifying the most stressed points and highlighting the influence of different stress components, including those described by Vlasov’s theory. It was verified that axial and bending-induced stresses dominate the structural response, while the contribution of the warping effects was found to be minor. The study confirms that the GA formulation, despite its limitations, offers a practical and efficient tool for the preliminary structural assessment of tall buildings, especially in construction environments with a high demand for results in a short time, such as China nowadays.