Correction of direction reduction factors of extreme wind speed considering the Ekman spiral in the wind load estimation of super high-rise buildings with heights of 400-800 m

The wind direction in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) twists with height due to the Coriolis force; this phenomenon is called the Ekman spiral. However, this phenomenon is generally not considered in the present wind load estimation of super high-rise buildings, which may lead to an incorrect estimation and affect the safety of structures. Therefore, this study considers and analyzes the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon in the wind direction reduction effect (WDRE) of the wind load of super high-rise buildings. First, this paper proposes an empirical fitting equation for the twisted wind direction angle for a height of 100-800 m according to the classical Ekman spiral theory model (CE model). Subsequently, on the basis of twisted wind, this paper proposes a method for the correction of the wind direction reduction factors (WDRFs) of strong winds considering the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon in the design wind load estimation of super high-rise buildings with heights of 400-800 m. A high-frequency balance force measurement test of a square-section super high-rise building model was performed to analyze the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon on the WDRE of the aerodynamic force and wind-induced response. Three Chinese cities (i.e., Beijing, Wuhan, and Kunming) are selected as case studies to illustrate the importance and necessity of the correction method. The results demonstrate that the proposed empirical fitting equation accurately determines the twisted wind direction angle at different latitudes and altitudes. Furthermore, estimating the design wind load while considering the WDRE and neglecting the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon may lead to a significant underestimation of the wind load of super high-rise buildings, rendering the designed building structure more dangerous.