Real-time multi-directional aeroelastic hybrid simulation for tall building response under wind loading

Real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) is an advanced testing technique in which a structural system is divided into analytical and experimental substructures that are coupled in real time to capture the dynamic response of the complete system. While RTHS has been applied to wind-induced loading; conventional implementations typically rely on pre-recorded aerodynamic data from rigid wind tunnel models, thereby neglecting wind–structure interaction effects. This simplification limits the accuracy of response prediction because the interaction between structural motion and the surrounding airflow can have a significant influence on the wind-induced forces. To overcome this limitation, this study introduces a novel Multi-directional Real-time Aeroelastic Hybrid Simulation (RTAHS) framework that explicitly incorporates multi-directional aeroelastic effects into the evaluation of tall building response under wind loading. In the proposed approach, the structural system is modeled numerically as the analytical substructure, while the building facade is physically represented in a wind tunnel as the aero substructure, and any supplemental damping devices in the structure are modeled physically as the experimental substructure. At each time step, the equations of motion are solved to compute the displacements of the aero substructure, which are then imposed on the physical model in the wind tunnel through actuators. The real-time wind pressures are subsequently measured in this deformed configuration and integrated to determine the corresponding aeroelastic forces. A 40-story building equipped with nonlinear fluid viscous dampers in the outrigger system and a tuned mass damper at the roof is employed as a case study. Simulations are conducted with and without structural material nonlinearities, and the accuracy and robustness of the proposed framework is assessed. The RTAHS approach can be utilized to substantially enhance the realism and fidelity of wind-induced response predictions, offering a powerful tool for the design and performance assessment of tall buildings. • Multi-directional real-time aeroelastic hybrid simulation. • Experimentally modeled supplemental damping devices. • Material and geometric nonlinearities. • Assessment of magnitude and latency error of Scanivalve pressure tap system and actuators. • Real-time aeroelastic wind pressure measurements.