VERTICAL SYSTEMS

…HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE

SINCE THE FAMED TOWER OF BABYLON

 Desire to reach the heaven

 To see the world from above
 The prestige of being tallest and
high land costs

VERTICAL Structures
Tall
structures
Steel structural systems and the number of storeys
• Cantilever
• Moment Frame
• Framed Tube
• Bundled Tube
 a horizontal structural member
supported at one end only
 consist of towers that rise from the
foundation

Single tower cantilever Single tower cantilever

with cantilever floors with suspended floors

• CANTILEVER
HYPO BANK, Munich (1980)
Architect: Bea & Walter Betz
• create a landmark and a unique architectural statement
• 22-storey, 114m height
• 4 tubular concrete towers
• 3 triangular office spaces
 Provide optimal planning freedom,
with minimal interference of structure
 Used for office buildings that require adaptable
space for changing tenants needs

Moment-resisting steel Moment-resisting concrete j

joint @ interior column
@ end column
• MOMENT FRAME
SEAGRAM BUILDING
New York (1954-58)
Architect: Mies van der Rohe,
Philip Johnson, Kahn & Jakobs

- 38-storey
- modern architecture
- exemplifies Mies’ philosophy
Baukunst(art and craft of
building)
--great attention to detail and
proportion
- mechanical floor on top
curtain wall
--eliminate thermal stress and
strain due to outside temperate
variations
 Variation of moment frames
 Wrapping the building with a “wall” of
closely spaced columns and short beams

Framed tube Framed tube

without interior core with interior core
• FRAMED TUBE
CBS TOWER, New York
(1961-1965)
Architect: Eero Saarinen

- 38 storey (151m)
- floor plan (38x47m)
- black granite

- triangular extrusions
on upper floors
- diamond shaped
on the ground floor
-- for mechanical ducts
and pipes
 Composed of tubes framed by closely
spaced columns joined to beams to form
moment frames

Square tube modules

Triangular tube
modules

Hexagonal tube modules

• BUNDLED TUBE
WILLIS TOWER, Chicago
(1973)
(SEARS)
Architect: SOM

- 110 storey (442m)

- floor plan (69x69m)

- black aluminum
and tinted glass
- 5 storey underground
- 9 bundled tubes
VERTICAL SYSTEMS, SUSPENDED
 Suspended high-rise structures
 Different from suspension structures
like suspension bridges

 Hang usually about vertically from top

To free the ground floor from obstructions

VERTICAL SYSTEMS, SUSPENDE

REQUIRES LARGE FOOTING JOINT FOOTING
LIKE A TREE TO RESIST OVERTURNING TO INCREASE STABILITY

SINGLE TOWER/SINGLE STACK MULTIPLE TOWERS

SUSPENDED HIGH-RISE STRUCTURES DESIGN OPTIONS

 TWIN STACKS TWIN STACKS/TOWERS

SUSPENDED HIGH-RISE STRUCTURES DESIGN OPTIONS

TRIPLE STACKS TRIPLE STACKS/TWIN TOWERS

SUSPENDED HIGH-RISE STRUCTURES DESIGN OPTIONS

WESTCOAST TRANSMISSION TOWER, Vancouver (1969)
Architect: Rhone and Iredale

WESTCOAST TRANSMISSION BUILDING

WESTCOAST ENERGY BUILDING
THE QUBE

 12-storey dark-glazed rectangular tower (68 m)

 Converted to 180 unique residential suites (2005)
 Floor size: 33 x 33 m
 Core size: 11 x 11 m

SUSPENSION CONCEPT
to provide an unobstructed view
to the beautiful bay
of Vancouver
 WESTCOAST
TRANSMISSION TOWER
BMW HEADQUARTERS, Munich (1972)
Architect: Karl Schwanzer

BMW-VIERZYLINDER
BMW FOUR-CYLINDER
BMW TOWER
BMW HOCHHAUS

 Winner, international design competition

 Protected historic building(1999)
 Extensive refurbishments (2004 – 2006)

 Tower size: 52.30m Ø

 Core size: 24.4 m
 22 occupied floors
 2 basements
 18 office spaces

Individual floors were assembled

on the ground and then elevated
BMW
HEADQUARTERS
STANDARD BANK CENTER, Johannesburg (1968)
Architect: Hentrich and Petschnigg

Design objective :
to access the center via an open plaza
with the least amount of bulk and obstructions

 139 metres tall

 Floor size: 34.29 x 34.28m
 Core size: 14.63 x 14.63m

 The building was built from the top down

after the central core was built,

the floors were suspended from

cantilevered arms
with the top floors added first,
followed by each lower floor.
STANDARD BANK CENTER
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANK (1986)
Architect: Norman Foster

THE BANK
HONGKONG BANK
HONG KONG BANK
LION BANK

Size: 55 x 70m
Height: 35 floors, 180 m

 Winner design competition

 Intended to provide large public space
at ground level without interior columns

 was the most expensive building in the world

based on usable floor area at the time it was builIt

 is the largest bank in Hong Kong with branches

 HSBC is one of the oldest banking groups in the modern world
HONGKONG & SHANGHAI BANK
MARQUETTE PLAZA, Minneapolis (1972)
Former FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
Architect: Gunnar Birkerts

Size: 102 x 18m

Span between towers: 84m
Height: 67m

 constructed much like a suspension bridge

with cables strung between pillars at the ends
carrying the load
 noted as the first (and perhaps only) building
ever made to use catenary support

Design problems: along with asbestos contamination,

led the Federal Reserve to decide to move into
a new complex and sell the old structure.
MARQUETTE PLAZA
 IDEAL STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
FOR SUPER TALL BUILDINGS

 Flared
 Bundled
 MegaFrame
 Linked
 Tripod
 Structural System FLARED

Eiffel Tower Burj Dubai

 Structural System BUNDLED

Sears Tower Bank of China, HK

Structural System MEGAFRAME
(Outriggers)
Structural System MEGAFRAME
(Outriggers)

Strata Towers
Structural System MEGAFRAME
(Outriggers)

Taipei 101 Jin Mao

 Structural System LINKED

151 Incheon Tower Nakheel Tower

Structural System LINKED

Petronas Tower
Structural System TRIPOD SOLUTION

Mile High Tower

MODIFICATION TO BUILDING SHAPES
TO REDUCE WIND EFFECT

 Stair Step Corner

 Through Building Openings
 Rotate and Twist
 VORTEX SHEDDING
Effects Crosswind

VORTEX SHEDDING – WIND FLAKING/COMING OFF

STAIR STEP CORNERS

Rough corner can

reduce Vortex Shedding effects

Taipei 101
THROUGH-BUILDING OPENINGS

Openings reduce
Wind forces
(reduce sail area)

Shanghai Financial Center

THROUGH-BUILDING OPENINGS

Slots reduce wind

forces and sway
from Vortex Shedding

151 Incheon Tower

ROTATE/TWIST

Rotate to minimize load

From prevailing direction

Twist avoids simultaneous

Vortex shedding along
height

Shanghai Center
 INNOVATIVE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
OF TALL BUILDINGS

BEEHIVE (HEXAGRID)
“The reason that the beehive (Hexagrid) structural
system for Supertall buildings will be appreciated –
and it will be successful –
because it is organic,
transparent, efficient, understandable
and not mysterious.”
 BEEHIVE (HEXAGRID)

Beehive
- Protection
- Homes
- Source of life

Natural Forms of Beehive

ADVANTAGES:
 eliminates perimeter columns
 optimizes each structural element
(columns—vertical load carrying capacity
diagonals/braces – stability & resistance to wind & seismic loads)
 BEEHIVE (HEXAGRID)
3D Structural Model
for Beehive Tower

Hexagrid Analysis, 3D
& Elevation
 BEEHIVE (HEXAGRID)
3D Analysis model
& nodal load paths

Stress distribution images

BEEHIVE (HEXAGRID)

3D Architectural model
of Beehive Tower

3D view of analysis
Structural model