Reduction of wind loads on rectangular tall buildings with different taper ratios

Abstract To explore the influence of different taper ratios on wind loads reduction on rectangular tall buildings, the CAARC standard tall building model is selected as the benchmark model and four other rigid models with different taper ratios ranging from 5% to 20% are tested for pressure measurement in a boundary layer wind tunnel. Based on the test results, the distribution of wind pressure coefficients, local wind force coefficients, base moment coefficients and their power spectral densities from the five models are compared and discussed. Moreover, correlation factors for base moment coefficients and their power spectral densities concerning the effects of different taper ratios are provided. It has been proved that the aerodynamic performance of the rectangular tall building has been improved by the increasing of taper ratio. This study aims to provide useful information for the wind-resistant design of rectangular tall buildings.