PRACTICAL MODELLING OF HIGH-RISE DUAL SYSTEMS WITH REINFORCED CONCRETE SLAB-COLUMN FRAMES

Abstract

This paper discusses practical modelling issues pertinent to the design of an irregularly shaped reinforced concrete (RC) high-rise building currently under development in New York City. The structure analysed consists of a 60-storey residential tower and a 25-storey hotel building structurally connected to each other. For the seismic force resistance, a dual system combining ordinary RC shear walls and intermediate slab-column moment frames was used at the upper portion, while a building frame system of ordinary RC shear walls was used at the lower portion of the structure. A variety of models were used to simulate the behaviour of various elements of the structure, with special attention given to overall systemic effects of different member stiffnesses considered to account for distinct stress levels under service and ultimate loads. The models used for slab-column frames and shear walls were verified by comparing with other available models or laboratory tests. The in-plane flexibility of floor diaphragms at the interface between the two substructures with different geometries was simulated to identify the most critical wind conditions for each structural member. Finally, building dynamic analyses were performed to demonstrate the modelling issues to be considered for the lateral force design of irregular high-rise buildings.