A Simplified Approach to Analysis of High-Rise Frame Tube Structures

Based on finite element method and finite strip method, a simplified approach was presented to analyze high rise frame tube structures. The generalized strip element is introduced and then the generalized stiffness matrices for beam and column line are derived by using the displacement functions that describe the nodal displacements and displacement transforms. Furthermore, the formulas for the generalized stiffness matrix of generalized strip element and load arrays corresponding to the displacement parameters were developed. It is shown through a series of numerical computation that the nodal angular displacements at the same floor in a generalized strip element are approximately identical. A comparison of the finite element method and the finite strip method shows that the simplified approach not only is accurate, but also reduces the number of basic unknown quantities.