CHAPTER 3: CONSTRAINTS, TRADE-OFFS AND STANDARDS

3.1 Design Constraints

The project is designed as a six – storey structure with roof deck, which will serve as a transport terminal with
commercial center will be constructed in a typical steel system. In order to construct the commercial building,
some constraints must be considered, as follows:

1. Economic (Cost)
In order to ensure the fulfillment of the construction of the building as noted by the client, economic
considerations must be satisfied. As such, the designer must procure which of seat angle or fill-and
weld beam to column connection will yield to a construction with lesser cost.

2. Structural Safety
For the infrastructure to be safe, several considerations, such as its seismic response, must be
considered. As such, the designer will define which of seat angle and fill-and weld beam to column
connection is structurally safe. I.e. ensuring that the structure will be able to withstand the various
forces that will affect it (e.g. wind load, seismic load, dead load, live load, static load, dynamic load).

3. Sustainability
For the sustainability of the building, it is the capacity of the maintenance of the building to cost less
in a Thirty (30) year period. The designer will take a look of which trade-offs will show a lesser cost
for the maintenance of the building.

4. Social
In respect to the surrounding area where there are people living and are greatly affected or not even
affected but in the area near the construction. This is where the surrounding neighbours of the
structure is being understand and tried to be recognized of what are their thoughts of the
construction and their needs or possibly their demands to approved to the construction. However,
their demands must be legal and has a basis of where their rights as an individual are appropriate.
This is done to prevent future conflict with the neighbours because there is a chance that they do
not want any noise or any disturbances while the construction is being done.

5. Environmental
Environmental constraints are for being earth friendly of the structure to be construct. It is where
there should be still some green areas in the property after the construction. If not done at least
some plants or trees in a vase. Environmental constraint is for helping the world reduces the
pollution and prevent the cutting of trees in exchange for a construction of a building. But if cannot
be prevented the trees should be replaced by planting new seeding. In the environmental
constraints the place must be study like the properties of the soil foundation of the location and the
seismic strength in the area.
3.2 Trade-Offs
The proponents have two choices on which connections will be chosen on constructing the office building.
The trade-off to be chosen should be safe, economical and at the same time it should have less duration of
construction.
3.2.1 Bolted Connection
Bolted connections are one of the most common elements in construction and machine design. They consist
of fasteners that capture and join other parts, and are secured with the mating of screw threads.

3.2.2 Welded Connections

Structural welding connection is a process by which the parts that are to be connected are heated and fused,
with supplementary molten metal at the joint.

Based on the first and second constraints stated above, two technologies were considered on the aspect of
beam to column connection to satisfy the requirements of cost and structural safety. These are listed in Table
3-1. Using the model on trade-off strategies in engineering design by Otto and Antonsson (1991), the
importance of each criterion (on a scale of 0 to 5, 5 with the highest importance) was assigned and each
design methodology’s ability to satisfy the criterion (on a scale from -5 to 5, 5 with the highest ability to satisfy
the criterion) was likewise tabulated.

Table 0-1 Raw Designer Rankings (Otto and Andersson)

Ability to satisfy the criterion

Criterion’s
(on a scale from -5 to 5)
Decision Criteria Importance
(on a scale of 0 to 5) Welded Connection Bolted Connection
1. Economic (Cost) 4 5 -3
2. Structural Safety 5 -2 4
3. Sustainability 3 3 2
Over-all Rank 19 14

Computation of ranking for ability to satisfy criterion of materials:

𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒−𝐿𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒
% 𝐷𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑥10 Equation 3-1
𝐿𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒

𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘 = 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘 − (% 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒)𝑥10 Equation 3-2

In order to come up with values on ranking, the designer assigned a desired value to the governing rank not
exceeding to the value of 5 which will respond to the assigned importance factor of the given constraints.
The subordinate rank is the rank of the trade-offs which gives a lower value. The difference between the
governing rank and subordinate rank corresponds to the percentage distance along the ranking scale below.

Figure 0.1 Ranking Scale

3.2 Designers’ Raw Ranking

The importance of constraints is being ranked to the values assigned by the designer based on their impact
in implementing the project. The rank given to the economic constraint was given to a value of four (4)
because budget has the highest consideration which has to be properly allocated in order to save a larger
cost in the project. Since structural safety is also vital to the design, and is more critical than cost, the rank of
the structural safety constraint is five (5).

Initial Cost Estimate

 Cost of Beam and Column Connection, and Its Displacement in Dynamic Action due to Seismic and
Other Loads
Table 0-2 Economic and Structural Safety Data in Connection System

Welded end-plate FR Moment Bolted end-plate FR Moment

Connection Connection
Cost 8,103,000 9,967,800
Manpower 78 105
Maintenance 582,300 598,068

Computation of Designer Ranking for Connection System (Economic)

Difference of two Value = Higher Value – Lower Value

Difference
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
Lower Value

9,967,800 − 8,103,000
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
8,103,000

Ranking = 2.7

Computation of Designer Ranking for Tank System (Structural Safety)

Difference of two Value = Higher Value – Lower Value.

Difference
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
Lower Value

105 − 78
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
78

Ranking = 3.46

Computation of Designer Ranking for 30-year Maintenances (Sustainability)

Difference of two Value = Higher Value – Lower Value.

Difference
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
Lower Value

598,068 − 582300
Ranking = 5 − ( ) x 10
582,300

Ranking = 4.73
3.3 Design Standards

The following codes and standards are needed to proceed for the building design for all the parts of the
structure. Every parameter, codes, specifications, and equations and formulas must be traced and conform
mainly to the following code and standards:
 National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) vol.1-2015 edition (PD1096).

Other referencing codes and standards,

 National Building Code of the Philippines.

 American Concrete Institute (ACI).

 International Building Code IBC 1997.

 American Institute for Steel Construction AISC-05 with supplementary seismic provisions.

The National Building Code of the Philippines (PD 1096). The National Building Code of the Philippines, also
known as Presidential Decree No. 1096 was formulated and adopted as a uniform building code to embody
up-to-date and modern technical knowledge on building design, construction, use, occupancy and
maintenance. The Code provides for all buildings and structures, a framework of minimum standards and
requirements to regulate and control location, site, design, and quality of materials, construction, use,
occupancy, and maintenance.
Loading : UBC 97, ASCE 7-05
Reinforced Concrete : ACI 318M-05
Steel : A36

The National Structural Code of the Philippines 2015.This code provides minimum standards to safeguard
life or limb, property and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of
materials pertaining to the structural aspects of all buildings and structures within its jurisdiction. The provision
of this code shall apply to the construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair, maintenance and use of
any building or structure within its jurisdiction, except work located primarily in a public way, public utility
towers and poles, hydraulic flood control structures, and indigenous family dwellings.

Material Strengths. The following material strengths were used in the design of the project.
The minimum compressive strength of concrete, fc’ = 20.7MPa for slab and footing.
Reinforcing steel bars shall be deformed and shall conform to PNS 49/ASTM 615 for Grade 40.
Manufactured steel bars should be composed of all-purpose carbon steel (A36).
Allowable Soil Bearing Pressure, qa, should be taken from a geotechnical analysis.
Loadings. This refers to the total load of the structure which was mainly comprised of dead load and live load.
Seismic Loads. Seismic forces were determined based on the equivalent static force procedure and
computed following the provisions of NSCP 2001, section 2.2.
Load Combinations. Reinforced concrete sections shall be designed using the “Ultimate Strength Design”
and the structural steel sections shall be designed using the “Allowable Strength Design”.
Structural Steel Requirements. The adequacy of the structure must meet the required strengths in bending,
shear and deflection.