A Cross-disciplinary Approach to BIM-based Façade Design for Wind Performance

This paper examines a cross-disciplinary approach to a high-rise façade design proposal for Hong Kong where the initial architectural design concept provides a negotiable boundary for an architectural engineering design process. A crucial aspect ofthisprocessistheconsiderationofhighwindloadsonthefaçade,as they frequently occurinHongKongduetoregularlyoccurringtyphoons.Designforwindperformance is typically outside of the expertise of architectural designers and thus requires close collaboration between architects and structural engineers. Conventionally trained structural engineers may however not be accustomed to work with unusual building form or to consider architectural design ideas as part of engineering proposals. In the context of this paper, building information modeling (BIM) is used to facilitate cross-disciplinary dialogue as well as interdisciplinary workflows during the early design stages

Shear capacity assessment of tuff panels strengthened with FRP diagonal layout

A quantitative analysis of the in-plane shear capacity of tuff masonry panels externally reinforced with FRP diagonal layout has been carried out. The objective is to provide a rational approach to the definition of the contributions from masonry and FRP to the lateral in-plane resistance of strengthened panels. Relevant experimental results of monotonic shear-compression tests are carefully analysed. A truss model approach, combined with a proper masonry strength criterion for masonry is proposed and validated. A comparison between computed and experimental data confirms the validity of the procedure in view of practical applications and code recommendations