Tall buildings : study of effectiveness of linked slab as rigid diaphragm in multi-tower building

Abstract

The Singapore mainland area measures about 580m2. With 5 million people living there, the average density is more than 7000 people/km2. This makes of Singapore the second most densely populated country worldwide. The main problem is based on limited space of Singapore Island on which buildings and infrastructures are already overdeveloped. One of the solutions is to construct higher residential and commercial buildings. However, tall buildings are highly prone to strong gusts of wind and ground tremors which impose considerable tension and compression forces on the structures.

Design of tall buildings including simulation is necessary. Despite continuous advancement in numerical simulation algorithms for higher accuracy, some of the basic considerations require better treatment. In this study, attempts have been made to evaluate the impact of linked slabs on the structural performance, namely, the normal stresses and bending moments of the linked slabs. This is achieved through simulating various diaphragm conditions. The result indicates that the rigid diaphragm assumption can reduce the computational time without lacking much of the accuracy compared to the no-diaphragm case. However, choosing of the diaphragms need to be carefully made. Limitations are also discussed at the end of the study.