The Role of Damping in Controlling the Wind Response of Tall Buildings

A large number of the measurements of damping and frequencies of tall buildings have been undertaken by researchers. However these have been mostly at very low amplitude and may not give a good indication of true behaviour in strong wind storms. This paper examines measurements at low amplitude and some at larger amplitudes produced by strong wind conditions. These, together with studies by others on trends with increasing amplitude indicate damping values generally in line with those that have historically been used in design. The paper also describes experience, from a motion perception point of view, with a collection of 19 buildings that were wind tunnel tested and constructed in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The experience with these buildings has been satisfactory and provides a good benchmark for design assumptions and criteria. The use of supplementary damping systems is an effective way of improving building performance.