Parametric Analysis of Wind Load Effects on Buildings Based on Vietnamese Standards

Among load types acting on buildings, the determination of wind load is critical because of its dependence on building height, building shapes, and topography. This study presents a parametric analysis of wind load effects on buildings using Vietnamese standards. First, the fundamentals of wind-load estimation methods based on gust loading factor and equivalent static wind load are briefly described. Second, finite element (FE) models of buildings are conducted to obtain modal parameters of buildings for wind load calculation. Effects of building parameters on wind load estimation are analyzed using guidelines from the standards. The result demonstrates that wind loading calculated from the gust loading factor is higher by about 30% than that of equivalent static wind load for building heights lower than 40 m. For tall buildings, the two methods yield relatively significant differences (about 15%) in wind load values. It suggests that the gust loading factor should be applied to the structural design of buildings to improve structural safety under changes in natural environment conditions.