Construction and Structures 2 - Major Project design Sketch and research details

Above is a small sketch outlining the roof profile in both plan and elevation. We intend to work on a construction method which can replicate the massing effect whilst interchanging some of the materials Mies used for those that are more suitable for industrial application.

Construction and Structures 2 - Major Project

For this project scenario my team (Ryan Mitchell and myself) are working from the perspective of an Architect. We have chosen to model our building loosely on the design conventions of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. In terms of warehouse design we have paid particular attention to his design of the "New national gallery of Berlin, Germany." (1962-68) (below)

Minimalist, functional and massive structure: this is what we will try to incorporate into our structure



Capped with a two-way roof structure supported along the perimeter on eight columns (two on each side set in from the corners). Each defines large open spaces on an elevated platform. Mies used broad flights of steps to connect respective platforms with the ground."

The hall, walled totally in glass, measured 166 feet square, with a 26-foot height. The 213-foot-square roof, the first rigid plate ever executed, was constructed in the form of an orthogonal grid of web girders 6 feet deep separated at 12-foot intervals.

Source: http://www.archiplanet.org/wiki/New_National_Gallery

Site Visit Completed Building- 'The Promenade' Apartments, Geelong waterfront

These apartments are made from classic post and beam concrete construction incorporating 'bondek' underflooring and kliplok roofing. What i found most interesting in this case was that due to the vast use of window glazing on the facade, no attempt has been made to conceal the concrete members, rather to use them as a feature (below). This building is definitely pre-cast.

Below: The pre-cast concrete panel wall on the side of the development is vast and does not have openings; this would have made construction very efficient.


In this image it is apparent that some of the concrete members (on the facade in red) serve little structural purpose, and solely embellish the design.

Site Visit - Edgewater Apartments - Geelong waterfront (under construction)

Below are a few shots i took of the 'Edgewater development' early in its construction

Above: The pre-cast panel is set in place and a platform with which to lay the bondeck with is being laid.
Further along the building I was able to find some 'bondek,' recently installed

Above are prime examples of Pre-cast concrete panels, recently craned into place and in the process of being attached

Below are several more shots which i think give a feel for the relatively small amount of space allocated to builders; this, along with inherent budget and time constraints would have been one of the contributing factors to the pre-cast selection



I thought this shot highlighted the inconvenience that having a crane on a small site can cause and hence how important scheduling is, both for keeping costs down and increasing effficiency in construction.

Existing Building, Site Visit - Deakin Wildcats basketball centre, North Geelong

PORTAL FRAME STEEL CONSTRUCTION

I apologise for the dark images everyone, i took these after one of my basketball matches as i had noticed in previous weeks that the building was a prime example of portal frame steel construction

Above; In this image you can just make out the c purlin supported by an angle bracket
This was certainly a very solidly built portal frame building. In this shot you can see how 180mm C purlins have been used to brace the vertical members.
This shot indicates how easily the roof and wall structures integrate as the larger UC members meet with the rafters, reinforced by the sturdy end-plate.
200 UC stanchions interconnected by C purlins and heavily insulated make up the wall structure
Above: the angle fly braces are clearly evident in this shot. It is certainly a very straightforward facility.
In the centre of this shot the large 'haunching' member attached to the UB rafter can clearly be discerned
An overall shot to provide an understanding of the scale of the building and the considerable spans between each portal.

Pre-cast Concrete Panel Section

Steel Frame Cladding Detail

Composite Construction diagrams

Below are the diagrams i drew on composite construction. There's the odd skewed brick where i overdrew on some lines, but i feel it gives a good overall impression on the processes involved.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
TYPICAL 'TILT-UP' CONCRETE PANEL CONSTRUCTION FOR TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT, 1405 MALVERN RD, MALVERN

Overall perspective of the narrow site . Staggered panel heights to the right show how builders have allowed for the slope of the site.

Stainless steel braces connected to mould-cast inserts

Side perspective of L-bracket support beam running the length of the wall

Bracing bolted into strip footing (adjustable tensioning screw also visible)

40mm high seating shims were used on several of the panels allowing for inaccurate concreting work. (bevilled panel edges also visible here)

Square inset craning connection point clearly visible towards the top left of the concrete panel

Braces at a 45 degree angle to concrete panels, minimum of two per panel
(support bars can be seen at the top of each panel)



Bolted brace connection to panel

Under construction- The 'Hay' Building, Deakin university waterfront campus

The new Law and Medicine faculty at the Deakin University Waterfront campus is an interesting case study due to the technical amalgamation of several types of construction ranging from steel post and beam, reinforced concrete slab timber framing and brick veneer. (Note; some of the below images were taken on a site visit in conjunction with another student, Ryan Mitchell, and may also be on his blog).


Above: This is an interesting shot because it shows a multitiude of building materials, namely C purlins, cleats, brick veneer walls, and floorjoists.
Above: Steel window framing grid waiting for glass inserts has been attached by cleats to the side of the reinforced concrete slab structure.

Above: a distance shot showing how the window frames cover all floors to give the 'curtain wall' effect.
Corner detail of curtain wall fastenings. Note: in this image the obvious 'kink' in the structure can be seen, this is to allow sea view from all points on the long thin site.
Above; extra reinforcement and engineering was required to enable these universal beams to overhang in this manner.
In this shot the connection between the steel post and beam structure and the concrete slab of the very top floor is visible through the brick portal on the right.

Journal - Insulated homes with carbon neutral pre-cast concrete flooring

Insulated homes with carbon neutral pre-cast concrete flooring

I thought it was important to add this article given the ever-increasing focus on the embodied energy and CO2 release of construction materials, not least concrete. It cites that a new standard in pre-cast concrete, in this case flooring, has been reached due to increased pressure (in England in this case) on manufacturers to reduce the embodied energy of their products. To achieve this, custom fit, 'hollowcore' concrete planks have been adapted with suprising success, and are now one of the most popular forms of construction in the UK for standard domestic construction. This type of flooring has terrrific thermal efficiency, fire resistance, good sound insulation, robustness and requires low maintainence. It is pleasing to read that large companies responsible for the supply of such materials are taking these measures on board with enormous success.

Journal Source: "concrete for the construction industry," Vol.42, no.3, ,'insulated homes with carbon-neutral pre-cast concrete flooring,' pp44-45

Completed building - GMHDA, Moorabool Street, Central Geelong

I thought that this building suited the task of investigating post and beam construction very well due to its simplicity. what makes it interesting is that the outer concrete columns are left separate of the inner curtain wall, and the whole structure sits and an exposed reinforced concrete slab (below)

Below: In this shot it becomes clear that the otherwise naked reinforced concreete columns have been clad in blue aluminium sheeting.


Above: on the right hand side of this shot the load distribution is clearly evident through the cladding as both the curtain wall, concrete column and concrete roof slab can clearly be seen.

Journal - Cost model study - Commercial Buidings

Cost Model Study - Commercial Buildings

Although not directly relevant to our unit of study, I have added this article as it involves one of the most recently researched developments in the industry and could form a marriage with the processes of BIM. Using a series of case studies in regional and central London the study aims to provide a guideline for costings and the type of structures (long or short span, concrete or steel) which are most effective depending on the location of a site and the logistics involved in bringing materials on-site.

It is interesting because it highlights the complexities construction managers can be faced with, taking a more universal and in-depth approach to understanding the cost of a building.

Article Source: 'Steel Construction- Journal of the Australian Steel industry,' Vol.39, No.1 March'05 'Cost model study- Commercial Buildings', p3.

Journal - Floor vibrations in composite steel office buildings

Floor Vibrations in Composite steel office buildings

I thought that is article was important since we are studying long span and portal frame construction. It raises the issue of unacceptable vibration and noise transmittance in long span applications, and the practical, no added cost changes which can be made to minimise such issues. It talks specifically about the Australian standards and building codes, and how they provide for such issues. What it claims most floor design comes down to is the expected occupation of a building, the tasks to be performed within it, and the expected freedom from intrusion. It states that floors should be designed by mapping the acceleration and frequency of floors, and the layering of materials adjusted accordingly.

It took a particularly interesting angle for consideration on an area that is very topical for this unit.



Journal Source: 'Steel Construction - Journal of the Australian steel industry,' Vol 39, No.1 'Floor vibrations in composite steel office buildings' March '05, p3

Pre-Cast Concrete Panel Section