Importance of Accurate Modeling Input and Assumptions in 3D Finite Element Analysis of Tall Buildings

With ever increasing land prices, design and construction of high-rise buildings are becoming very common. There is a trend among design Engineers to resort to 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) during the design of such high rise buildings. This is due to the fact that challenging architectural concepts, when combined with inherent complexities and scale of such projects, require the need of complex structural systems and components such as outriggers, transfer plates, etc. However incorrect modeling input and assumptions could lead to a situation where predictions made using such models may differ greatly from the actual behaviour. In this paper, the importance of accuracy in modeling FEA of high rise buildings is demonstrated through the use of a case study of a 34 storey hotel building with outriggers. The impact of modeling accuracy and assumptions on the predicted performance of the outrigger is also evaluated.