Correlating dynamic characteristics from field measurements and numerical analysis of a high-rise building

Using the concept of lumped masses and rigid floor slabs, several mathemati cal models were built using a popular PC-based finite element program to mo del a tall building with a frame-core wall structural system. These models were analysed to obtain the first nine mode shapes and their natural freque ncies which were compared with those from field measurements, using numeric al correlation indicators. The comparison shows several factors that can ha ve a significant effect on the analysis results. Firstly, outriggers connec ting the outer framed tube system to the inner core walled tube system have a significant effect on fundamental translational mode behaviour. Secondly , detailed modelling of the core considering major and minor openings as we ll as internal thin walls has the strongest influence on torsional behaviou r, whose measurements were shown to be an important aspect of the dynamic b ehaviour for the structure studied. Fine tuning of an analytical model requ ires not just considering variation in values of structural parameters but also attention to fine detail. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.