Civil Engineering Association

SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF SUPER TALL BUILDINGS

With the rapid population growth and dynamic economic developments, the demand for residential, mixed use
and commercial buildings has been increasing significantly all around the world. Due to the excessive increase
in height of buildings in this era, there is a significant impact on the methods used to analyze and design of tall
buildings. There is a clear acceptance within the engineering community that the specifications given in codes of
practice are not suitable for very tall buildings.
General concepts, current methods of analysis and seismic performance of super tall buildings are reviewed in
this paper. Further the effect of higher modes on the performance of super tall buildings is also discussed.
During the last few decades, the application of new techniques and of new mechanical means was
witnessed in virtually every human activity. It became clear in time that the innovation in architecture
would come from those who grasps the possibilities of the new materials and techniques. The present
day, construction of super tall buildings have become a trend and the impetus behind the surge of
these tall buildings has been the need to satisfy the growing demand for office and apartment space.
The convenience of having all of the services one needs in a single building is now becoming a reality
with mixed-use buildings; some of these buildings may also bring the prospect of being able to live
and work without leaving the building. Further the value of time and the high cost of gasoline may be
part of the economic drivers that have sparked renewed interest in urban living and a return to the
central city or downtown areas of many cities, which is a reverse trend from living in the suburbs as in
the past. Due to this new technology towards super tall buildings, engineering judgment has to be
made carefully.