A Comparative Study of Wind Tunnel Tests and Design Codes in Evaluation of Along-Wind Effects on Towers

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the wind loads acting on a tower structure by comparing and reviewing design codes and the results of wind tunnel tests. To this end, the modal properties of the tower were identified through short-term on-site measurements of the Busan Tower in Korea. The wind load acting on the tower was calculated using four design codes: KBC2009 (Korea), ASCE7-10 (USA), EUROCODE (Europe), and AIJ2004 (Japan). Additionally, force measurement tests and aeroelastic model tests were conducted for comparison. The results obtained indicated that the design wind velocity of each design code differed slightly, reflecting the individual characteristics of each country. The base shear force, base moment, and maximum displacement obtained from each design code were similar to those obtained in the wind tunnel tests. The magnitudes of the base moments and maximum displacements calculated by each design code were in the order of KBC > AIJ ≈ EUROCODE > ASCE7. The overall results indicate that each design code reasonably estimates the wind forces and the responses of the tower and also has an appropriate safety margin. The scatter in the predicted wind loads occurs primarily from the variations in the design wind velocity in the respective design codes.