It’s not often easy to be first. But that hasn’t stopped an intrepid adventurer from going against the prevailing winds of structural practice to debut a dynamic shift in skyscraper engineering that at minimum promises improved tall-building resilience and sustainability—at a reduced cost. The first proof-of-concept for the radical technique, called performance-based wind design, is stirring up a storm of optimism for tall-building enthusiasts committed to advancing “real” not “cookbook” engineering. And they predict that in 10 or 15 years, high-rise PBWD will be the norm the world over.
PBWD is hailed as “transformative” by the structural engineer premiering the approach on a 671-ft-tall project in Austin. “The first implementation of PBWD on a real project is a significant step forward for the industry to demonstrate the viability and benefits of the technique,” says Sean P. Clifton, senior principal for Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA), the structural engineer that sold the novel strategy to the codevelopers of the Austin tower, under construction since January.