The Energy Flow Analysis as a Tool for Identification of Damping in Tall Buildings Subjected to Wind: Contributions of the Foundation and the Building Structure

Abstract

In this paper, the energy dissipated in a tall building is identified by means of the energy flow analysis. This approach allows assessing energy dissipation within a specific domain or element of the structure. In this work, the focus is placed on the superstructure, which is the part of the building above the ground, and on the foundation. Damping operators for the superstructure and the foundation are formulated based on the identified energy dissipation in these parts of the building. The obtained damping operators are used to compute the modal damping ratios in a simplified model of the building. The modal damping ratios of the three lowest modes of vibration are compared to those identified in full-scale measurements by means of the half-power bandwidth method.