STRIDE: Structural Influence on Dynamic Energy Demand — A Coupled Time-Dependent Assessment of Structural Response and Building Energy Performance

Abstract: Building energy performance is traditionally evaluated under the implicit assumption that structural conditions remain invariant during building operation. While structural dynamics are rigorously analyzed for safety and serviceability, their potential influence on operational energy demand has remained largely unexplored. This study addresses this gap by introducing the STRIDE framework (Structural Influence on Dynamic Energy Demand), a fully coupled, time-dependent methodology that integrates nonlinear structural dynamic analysis with transient building energy simulation. Using synchronized time-history modeling, the framework resolves structural response and energy demand on compatible temporal scales, enabling explicit investigation of their interaction. The results demonstrate that structural dynamic behavior produces measurable, nonlinear, and regime-dependent effects on time-varying energy demand, particularly influencing peak demand intensity and short-term demand variability rather than cumulative consumption alone. The findings confirm that static or sequential energy modeling approaches underestimate demand dynamics in buildings with pronounced structural response. By repositioning structural systems as active contributors to operational energy performance, the study advances performance-based building analysis and provides a transferable methodological foundation for integrated structural–energy research.