Arch 261 - Case studies

What are the different uses and requirements of the Sydney opera house

Opera Hall - smaller space, 1500 seats, included orchestra pit, reverberation time ~ 1.2 seconds

Orchestra Hall - Open stage, more seats, reverberation time ~ 2.1 seconds

Illinois institute of technology

Steel frame - roof suspended from deep exposed I beams web stiffeners to increase stiffness grid beams span in two directions long span with cantilevered ends

Dyson industries

Used as office, research and packaging space, double height, 80 × 120m grd but 20 × 10m steel frame grid, waver form roof running east west acts as a diaphragm cross bracing on vertical plane

Menil gallery

Modest scale, ceiling made of steel beams and lattices which support ferrocement leaves which absorb UV rays, simple grid structure, concrete slab foundation, pinned joint, CHS primary truss ferrocement secondary truss, and timber cladding

Sainsbury’s centre

Originally 2-3 building became 1, had multiple entrances, steel and glass, lattice steel structure, prismatic truss that accommodates services 2 pin joints and 2 fixed ends, roof has interchangeable glass and composite panels, large uninterrupted spaces 450m deep glass fins

Unilever headquarters

3 supports along the span, large truss on outside, cross bracing in middle and sides, floor plates make the structure rigid, tectonic network of trusses, cross members and diagonal beams allow flexibility

Reliance controls

Flexible low cost simple structure which would allow easy future extensions, foundation mass concrete pads with bases along the perimeter, 12.2m grid primary and secondary perpendicular to each other cross bracing on outside, joints welded together

Brit school

Large performance space with expandable areas, made of steel, externally expressed, large tapered trusses supported on a pin joint and tensile members diagonally bracing, primary trusses tied back with anvils, roof pre cambered purlins act as a diaphragm

Describe the features of the form of the Sydney opera house

Form responds to the audience viewing experiencing acoustics

The external structure is not a true shell - set of arch ribs spanning one direction

How was the double curved roof constructed for the Sydney opera house

All the surfaces were made from parts of the same sphere

Geometric simplification allowed ribs and cladding to be constructed easier

What are the features of the main ribs of the SOH

Prefabricated in sections, have the same curvature

Glazed end walls were kinked outwards to gain lost floor area

Prefabricated steel beams with a floor to roof span

Structural features of the end walls in SOH

End walls used prefabricated steel beams

Vertical steels beams ( not columns) pin jointed at each end and in centre span

Top pin joint to underside of concrete rib

Types of bracing in the Sydney Opera House

Lateral bracing - to prevent beams from flipping out of place

Diagonal bracing - to prevent lateral instability

Main structural features in the SOH and reasons

Reduced roof curves - structural behaviour becomes predictable

Glass wall - used to regain lost space, transfers loads from roof to floor

3 hinge structure - hinge attachment tolerated movement

Folded plate structure - geometry increases stiffness, loads are carried through form not material

Describe the main features of Kunsthaus Graz

Exterior - media facade

Interior - “black box of hidden tricks’ art gallery

Had to be integrated with Eiserne Haus (one of the oldest cast iron buildings in Europe)

What was an early concept proposal for Kunsthaus Graz

“Skin + pin”, organic floating form, with light nozzles

Skin = biomorphic ‘blobitecture’

Main structural features of Kunsthaus Graz

Curved surface, formed by triangular facets and parallel curved ribs to ease structure

Steel lattice frame: structurally works as a set of braced arches

Floor structure: Grid supported on a circular hollow section column

2 way grid: provided structure and keeps a visually lightweight interior

Describe the various layers in the Kunsthaus Graz envelope

Insulation - had to be cut manually on site due to the complex geometry

Waterproofing/ fire protection - sprinkler system integrated with skin assembly to ensure safety

Snow grips - had to be added and further constrained the design

Describe the panels used in the Kunsthaus Graz envelope

Panels - computer model generate 3D data needed to create the shape of each individual panel

Panel were formed by heat pressing acrylic sheet

Internal panels - perforated triangle panels mounted onto a rectangular hollow steel frame

How was the media facade formed for the Kunsthaus Graz

900 neon tubes mounted behind the acrylic panels forming a media facade

How is the plan layed out in Kunsthaus Graz

CHS columns support the floor grid

Section - contrast between the lightweight aluminium facade and solid concrete construction

The pin - crucial in transferring loads, accommodating circulation and linking the two buildings

Features of the roof of Formby Pool

Roof is higher at one end of the pool

It spans 15m across the width of the pool

Supported by ‘bowstring’ trussed beams - which increases cost efficiency and material usage

Beams are set at 1.2m centres

Main structure of the Formby Pool

Rectangular grid structure

Concealed timber truss with galvanised steel plate connections in the depth of the wall

Pratt Truss takes on roof load which is splint in tension and compression

Timber columns spanning 10.8m allow lower walls to be entirely glazed with frameless glass

What were the main materials used for Formby Pool

Kerto LVL (Laminated veneer timber) - for the timber frame roof structure and columns

GluLam - trusses were made of glulam

Mass timber - for internal walls

What was the foundation process for Formby pool

Soil was soft sand and silt - CHD piles

High water table - Coffer and dewatering

What was the chosen cladding element for Formby Pool

Vertically boarded oak and horizontally boarded copper sheets

What are the three types of glass and properties

Annealed Glass - lowest strength, breaks into large shards
Semi-tempered glass - ~2x stronger than annealed glass, breaks into large shards, typically used in curtain walls
Fully tempered glass - ~4-5x stronger than annealed glass, breaks into small, safe fragments, used in frameless facades

How is annealed glass produced

Chemical ingredients - silica sand, soda ash, limestone and blended with recycled glass

Heated in a furnace - molten glass is floated on a bath of liquid tin to form a continuous sheet, and cooled at a controlled rate to avoid internal stresses

How is semi-tempered glass produced

Annealed glass is heated to ~650°C then both surfaces are cooled with rapid blasts of air (internal core cools slower)

How is fully tempered glass produced

Cooled more rapidly that semi-tempered glass

What is laminated glass

it is produced by sandwiching thin sheets of transparent film in between sheets of glass - which are then bonded together under heat and pressure

What is insulating glass

Two glass panels separated by an air cavity - which creates a multi-functional role, of insulation and solar glare control

What is the difference between panes and plates in glass structures

Panes = enclosing, loads transverse, failure doesn’t affect stability
Plates = load-bearing, failure may compromise stability

What types of glass systems suit compression loading

Planar, Curved and double curved systems

Name 3 different glass connection techniques

Clamping plate - clamp fixings are point supports at the panel edge or corner

bearing bolt - a shear-resistant pin transfers concentrated force into the connection plate by a mechanical interlock

adhesive - glass edges are bonded directly to one another commonly with silicone

3 main features of load bearing glass structures

the geometry of structural elements, the arrangements of structural elements and the geometry of the connections

what are point and linear connections

point connections lead to load concentrations which combat the brittleness of components. Linear components evenly introduce forces into the components

Describe a box-window façade

interior windows can be opened for ventilation into the gap between two façade layers. Exterior façade has openings for supply and exhaust air. Horizontal and vertical separation allow sound insulation

Shaft box facade

comprises of box window façade elements and exhaust shafts in alternating sequence, stack affect cause exhaust air to be drawn out of the box windows naturally

Corridor facade

Air flows horizontally within the exterior and interior facades, corridor is accessible and is wide enough to be a service platform

second skin facade

doesn’t compartmentalise facade layers, exterior facade contains a layer of air that envelops the building.

Conventional steel frames

Universal (H section) columns, Circular hollow sections, Supporting (i section) beams

Hot rolled steel

rolled hot from furnace, eg; plates, bars, i sections and tubes

Castellated beams

Beams with cell/ holes punched out, making it more efficient and allows services to pass through

features of Centre Pompidou

completed in 1976, external steel frame, water storage in CHS, gerberettes with tie rods to provide tensions, fork and pin hangars for escalator

Properties of concrete and steel

concrete - artificial stone, good in compression, resists heat and water

steel - good in compression and tension, susceptible to rusting

comparisons between precast and in situ

precast - fabricated at plant, good quality control, good for tight sites, junctions are problematic

in-situ - junctions and continuity are easier, quality control is more difficult

Features of Bari stadium

310 prefabricated concrete elements, 26 petals for upper rows of seating, in situ ring beams are hidden, annular beams give support

features of the lloyds building

Aimed to exploit natural qualities of concrete with articulation associated with steel. Natural light from atrium, triple glazed, secondary grid structure, precast and pre-stressed column beams

Give 4 principles of lightweight structures

Want minimum amount of dead loads

The depth to span ratio is directly proportional with density

Elements in compression need to be avoided

Trusses are more efficient

Name two truss types and differences between them

Pratt truss - point down, and diagonals act in tension

Howie truss - point up and diagonals acts in compression

What is rupture length

the value that represents the length a thread can hang until it tears from its dead load

What is a funicular shape

it is an equivalence between a rope with a hanging weight and a standing arch with the same loading

features of alsterschwimmbad

suspended over a 4500sqm floor area, roof was only 8cm thick and held up by 3 diagonal struts (height of 24m and span of 96m)

Features of the Eden project

site would change due to active mining field so bubble design was used, spans up to 100m weight of steel is equivalent to weight of air highly transparent

Features of Lords mount stand

cutting pattern was used to define space, ring beam was used to avoid stress concentration adjustable length turnbuckle to apply tension

what is the definition of a tall building and subgroups

A tall building is defined as 14 or more stories/50m in height, super tall - 300m or taller Mega tall - 600m or taller

what are the 3 standards the CTBUH developed for measuring a building

Height to architectural top - including spires but not antennae, Height to highest occupied floor - the finished floor level, Height to tip - the highest point

What loads affect tall buildings the most

Wind loads - effect is shear and bending, the effect needs to be absorbed by bracing or shear walls

Features of Hong Kong bank Headquarters

Height 180m structural system is Vierendeel masts made of 4 circular columns connected by rectangular beams masts made of bundles of CHS span between masts is connected using a hangar structure composed of steel structures

Features of Commerzbank Headquarters

triangular shape, 3 megastructures at each corner forming a tube structure the columns are connected by 4 sets of Vierendeel trusses 50 stories high office space is column free

Features of the pavilion of the future

Made of Rosa Porina granite which is structural and ornamental The pavilion has two structural features, a single row of stone arches that form a screen along one elevation and a wave form roof that is suspended over display halls the Building is aligned north south screen is 290m long 40m high components are connected with simple dowels and epoxy resin

Features of Padre Pio Church

Beige apricena stone in 22 arches lined up in two rows in a radial pattern two way spanning timber and steel struts are the secondary structure

Features of the Notre Dame in Lile France

Arch façade was built from local blue stone, prestressed by a cable net to form a tall arched frame, the facade contains 110 translucent marble plates that allow light to filter through

Features of the Kansai Airport structure

structure - doubly curved prismatic arches, reinforced concrete frame thin ribbed structure acting as a stressed skin, earthquake resistant built on island

Features of Kansai Airport supports

Supports were inverted pyramids so vertical load and bracing is combined, support point were made to look like a skeleton, bow shaped cable trusses span vertically to hold the glazing

Featured of Terminal 2F in PAris Airport

Curved truss and spine beam approach areas curved thin concrete shell, box truss at peak and slender finger supports ends supported on articulating arms and tusks below

Features of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport

top of truss is in tension and the lower half is in compression, flat trussed span onto bowstring trusses, grid of purlins on flat truss which support fritted glass sheets milky glass to avoid glare, separate wall structure from roof structure. wall acts as a cantilever

Features of Smithfield Poultry Market

70m by 40m span doubly curved elliptical paraboloid concrete shell rise of 9m thickness of 76mm concrete shell has orthogonal roof overhangs are supported on v columns along the perimeter