Unified Stochastic Dynamic and Damage Cost Model for the Structural Analysis of Tall Buildings in Thunderstorm-Like Winds

Abstract

Stochastic calculus has been used traditionally in the field of finance since it can model variability in the stock market and fluctuations of monetary variables (assets, savings, etc.) in the financial sector. Stochastic differential equations have also been considered to study engineering problems. In wind engineering, notable examples include the investigation of stochastic bridge flutter stability and the examination of the dynamic response of tall buildings due to synoptic wind loads. It is therefore logical to combine the features, emerging from these two research areas, and build a theoretical model that examines the wind-induced response of a structure, wind-induced damage conditions, and, at the same time, the costs associated with structural maintenance (the so-called intervention costs). Exploiting some preliminary investigations, a stochastic model for tall building aerodynamics has been put forward recently by the writer. In this study, the theory and the model are comprehensively revised and expanded to a more general, unified formulation that enables the estimation of both dynamic response and intervention costs in the case of nonstationary winds, such as thunderstorm downbursts. Thunderstorm downbursts are short-lived, high-wind, and large-turbulence events that have caused relevant damages to buildings and structures in recent years. The main features of the proposed model are: (1) combination of both horizontal translational and torsional building response, (2) description of damage by means of a generalized power law cost function, and (3) examination of the interdependence among wind load, damage, and costs. The main features of the stochastic model and its ability to realistically simulate damage on the envelope of a benchmark tall building are investigated.