Analysis of the Structural Behaviour of Tall Buildings under Wind Loads Using STAAD.Pro

Abstract

The structural response of tall buildings to wind-induced lateral forces constitutes one of the most critical considerations in contemporary high-rise design. This study presents a rigorous finite element investigation of a thirty-storey, square-plan reinforced concrete building of 90 m total height, representative of a residential apartment complex situated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (basic wind speed Vb = 39 m/s, IS 875 Part 3-1987, Terrain Category II). Three-dimensional space frame modelling is performed in STAAD.Pro, and wind loads are applied as nodal forces at each floor level for three critical incidence angles: 0°, 45°, and 90°. The structural response is characterised through the variation of axial forces, bending moments, twisting moments, and lateral displacements along the height of three representative columns—the central column (Column 23), the face-centre outer column (Column 43), and the corner column (Column 45). Results reveal that the 45° wind incidence angle consistently governs maximum bending moments (623 kN•m in Column 23) and lateral displacement (250 mm at the roof, exceeding the h/500 = 180 mm serviceability limit). Twisting moments are concentrated in corner columns below the fifteenth storey, reflecting the fixity-dominated torsional response of the lower storeys. The push-pull cantilever behaviour of the frame is demonstrated through base reaction analysis. The findings underscore the inadequacy of single-direction wind analysis and provide quantitative design guidance for tall RC frame buildings in moderate-wind Indian cities.

Introduction

This study investigates the wind-induced structural behavior of a 30-storey reinforced concrete (RC) square-plan building using STAAD.Pro and the provisions of IS 875 (Part 3)-1987. As urbanization in India drives the construction of taller buildings, wind loading has become a governing factor in structural design, especially for buildings taller than 50 m. Unlike gravity loads, wind loads are dynamic, direction-dependent, and spatially distributed, producing lateral displacements, overturning moments, torsion, and inter-storey drift that affect both structural safety and occupant comfort.

The study emphasizes that wind incidence angle significantly influences structural response. Although IS 875 provides force coefficients for isolated buildings, it does not adequately consider dynamic wind effects, aerodynamic interference from surrounding buildings, or the influence of varying wind directions. For square-plan buildings, 45° diagonal wind often produces the most critical structural response because it simultaneously loads all building faces, resulting in biaxial bending and torsion despite having a lower codal force coefficient. This phenomenon is often overlooked in conventional structural design.

A comprehensive literature review (2020–2025) highlights recent developments in wind engineering. Previous studies have shown that IS 875 generally underestimates wind loads for tall flexible buildings compared with international standards, that 45° wind incidence consistently generates the highest overturning effects, and that advanced computational techniques such as CFD, wind tunnel testing, machine learning, and full-scale structural monitoring are improving the understanding of aerodynamic behavior. However, most existing research focuses on overall building responses such as base shear and storey drift, while detailed column-level stress resultants under multiple wind directions remain largely unexplored, particularly within the Indian design context.

The study identifies this limitation as its primary research gap. No previous work has simultaneously examined the variation of axial forces, bending moments, torsional moments, and lateral displacements for central, face-centre, and corner columns of a 90 m square-plan RC building under 0°, 45°, and 90° wind directions using STAAD.Pro and IS 875 provisions. Additionally, the adequacy of the h/500 serviceability drift criterion has not been comprehensively assessed for buildings of this type.

To address this gap, the study establishes five objectives: developing a three-dimensional finite element model in STAAD.Pro; evaluating internal stress resultants for representative columns under different wind directions; assessing lateral deflections against serviceability limits; analyzing global base reactions and overturning behavior; and comparing the findings with recent international research to provide recommendations for future revisions of IS 875.

The methodology models a 30-storey, 90 m high RC moment-resisting frame with a 24 m × 24 m square plan consisting of a 5 × 5 column grid. The structure uses M25 concrete, Fe500 steel, variable column sizes along the building height, uniform beam sections, and a 150 mm slab. The building is assumed to be located in Bhopal, where the basic wind speed is 39 m/s. Wind loads are calculated according to IS 875 using the design wind speed, pressure, terrain category, topographic factors, and force coefficients for 0°, 45°, and 90° wind incidence. Conservative force coefficients higher than the interpolated codal values are adopted to obtain upper-bound structural responses.

The finite element model is developed in STAAD.Pro V8i using three-dimensional space-frame elements capable of capturing axial, bending, torsional, and shear behavior. Dead loads, live loads, self-weight, masonry wall loads, and wind loads are incorporated according to Indian standards. Three independent wind load cases are analyzed, and structural responses are evaluated using the load combination 1.2(DL + LL + WL).

Three representative columns are selected for detailed investigation:

• Central column (Column 23): Primarily influenced by gravity loads and overall frame action.
• Face-centre outer column (Column 43): Subjected to maximum direct wind pressure under perpendicular wind.
• Corner column (Column 45): Experiences combined biaxial bending and torsion due to exposure on two faces, making it the most critical location under diagonal wind.

The analysis compares structural responses for 0°, 45°, and 90° wind directions, allowing the study to evaluate how wind angle affects axial forces, bending moments, twisting moments, base reactions, and lateral deflections throughout the building height.

Conclusion

This paper has presented a comprehensive finite element analysis of the wind-induced structural behaviour of a thirty-storey, square-plan reinforced concrete building using STAAD.Pro, with wind loads computed per IS 875 (Part 3)-1987 for Bhopal, India. The analysis covered three critical wind incidence angles (0°, 45°, 90°) and three structurally representative column positions (central, face-centre outer, and corner). The principal conclusions are: 1) The 45° wind incidence angle is the governing design case for bending moments and lateral displacement in the square-plan building, producing maximum BM values 10–22% higher than orthogonal cases and a maximum roof deflection of 250 mm—exceeding the h/500 = 180 mm serviceability limit by 39%. 2) Twisting moments are significant only in corner columns and only below the fifteenth storey, with a maximum base TM of 1.50 kN•m in Column 45 at 0°/90° incidence. The central column is entirely torsion-free under all wind angles. 3) The base axial force analysis reveals a cantilever-like push-pull overturning mechanism under all wind directions. The windward corner column experiences a 71% reduction in axial compressive force under 45° wind incidence (from approximately 6,800 kN gravity-only to approximately 2,000 kN), indicating near-uplift conditions under design-level wind. Foundation design must account for this tensile tendency, particularly for buildings in higher wind speed zones. 4) The adopted pure moment-resisting RC frame is insufficient to satisfy the h/500 serviceability drift criterion under IS 875 codal wind loads. Supplementary shear walls or outrigger systems are recommended for buildings of this height range in Bhopal and similar moderate-wind Indian cities. 5) Column-level results are strongly position-dependent: maximum axial force governs at the face-centre column (8,900 kN at 45°), maximum BM governs at the central column (623 kN•m at 45°), and maximum TM and maximum deflection govern at the corner column (1.50 kN•m and 250 mm respectively). 6) Multi-directional wind analysis encompassing a minimum of 0°, 45°, and 90° incidence angles is essential for the design of square-plan tall buildings, and reliance on single-direction (0° or 90°) analysis alone is non-conservative for bending moments and displacement by margins of 10–39%.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Ragvendra Singh Thakur, Mrs. Ankita Singhai, Dr. Rahul Kumar Satbhaiya. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.