Identification of the dynamic properties of a reinforced concrete coupled shear wall residential high-rise building

As high-rise buildings increase with height and slenderness, they become increasingly sensitive to dynamic vibrations, and therefore the natural frequency of vibration and damping ratio are very important design parameters, as they directly impact the design wind forces. Recent advances in sensing and computing technology have made it possible to monitor the dynamic behaviour of full-scale structures, which was not possible in the past. Full-scale validation of the dynamic properties is useful for high-rise designers to verify design assumptions, especially since recent measurements have shown that damping decreases as the height of the building increases, and in situ damping measurements have been lower than many currently assumed design values, potentially leading to unconservative designs. A 50-storey residential building in downtown Toronto, with a reinforced concrete coupled shear wall lateral load resisting system with outriggers was monitored using current state-of-the-art sensing technologies and techniques to determine, in situ, the dynamic properties under real wind loads. The in situ measurements were then compared with results obtained using current state-of-the-art computer modelling techniques.