Characteristics analysis for high-rise buildings during top-down construction

New advances in top-down construction are developing with the construction of supertall buildings in China. This study presents a finite element analysis for high-rise structural construction with a top-down method (TDM) considering complex environmental conditions. Based on this analysis model, the forces and the deformation of the diaphragm wall, beams, and soldier piles at various stages of construction are computed. Taking a super high-rise building with a 5-story basement in Nanjing as an example, the reliability and accuracy of the model is verified by comparing the measured and simulated results of displacement and stress values at various locations. The research results reveal the relationship between excavation depth, soil settlement and pile displacement, which is convenient for finding the optimal construction critical surface. It lays a foundation for the study of the critical height of the subsequent construction and facilitates the prediction of the weak link in the process. At present, this project is under construction, so this study has reference value for subsequent construction projects.