Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE.

For personal use only; all rights reserved.

DESIGN DETAILS AT AN OFFICE BUILDING WITH UNUSUAL SOLUTIONS

Dr.-Ing. Christoph Diekmann

IngenieurbiJro Diekmann
Wilhelmstr. t45, D-46145 Oberhausen
Phone: +49 1 0208 / 6 48 48 -0 1 Fax: -99 1 E-mail: cd@diekmann.net

In the course of the reorganisation of the scientific- and business-parc Berlin-Adlershof, the
Innovation Center of Information Technology was built in 1997/1998 on behalf of WISTA
Management GmbH. The architectural design allowed for an innovative concept with regard
to german conditions. The system requirements and the desire to leave the primary
construction largely visible with exposed steel, led to a composite construction with some
special technical solutions:

The Slimfloor ceiling system consists of axial beams with asymmetrical cross-section
and a 210mm high trapezium profile. The total construction hight is 320mm with a span
of 7.2m support grid and design in F90.

The shear-plate-effect of the ceiling system had to be guaranteed for high horizontal
forces; the concrete cover above the beams' flange amounted to only a few
centimetres. This called for shear-stress to pass across the steel girder.

The main columns of the building form an inverted pyramid system. Considerable
stabilization forces thereby develop as well as locally concentrated load-discharges at
pivot-points. These are taken over by massive steel parts which project into the
columns. Through additional pneumatic concrete-filling of the tube sections a composite
construction develops, which at the same time guarantees the fire protection of the
connection areas.

9 The storey columns were built with square pipes, which were filled with reinforced
concrete to have F90 quality (90 minutes of fire resistance).

Further planning requirements required unusual design-solutions in detailing, e.g.

shear plates with a hight shift
suspended conference rooms
suspension of the lower glass-facade

The building was completed and put into operation in February 1999.

668

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV 669

I. Introduction
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

During the last few years a science and technology park with numerous groups of buildings
was erected on the site of the former Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlerhof (former GDR
terdtory).As a part of the overall building operation the "lnnovationszentrum f(~r angewandte
Informatik" (IZA) was constructed.
Developer: WISTA Management GmbH, Berlin-Adlershof
Architect: Cepezed B.V., Delft NL
Construction planning (shell): HSIter Industrie Technik (HIT) / Ingenieurb0ro Diekmann
In the beginning a four-storey office and administration block was designed, but this did not
provide sufficient space requirements. Therefore a rectangular building was erected with a
surface area of 20x51 m, a height of 28 m and a clear structure:
9 a middle atrium including all eight storeys was topped by a glass roof
9 an entrance hall connected via stairways, galleries and elliptic levels (conference rooms)
which are stabilized by the gangway entrances
9 offices and workrooms at the long sides of the building
9 bracing cores on the front sides of the building with sanitary facilities and staircases
As a concept the construction was designed with mostly visible steel surfaces. The building
had to be constructed according to fire resistance quality F90. The sanitary units were to be
installed into the structurally completed building as prefabricated devices.

2, Structural concept
The concept of load distribution can be seen in the idealized system sketches:

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 670 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV

9 one way ceilings between the girders (slim floor system: COMFLOR),
design of the ceiling-levels as horizontal plates, unit-areas as continuous span a t D e
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

bracing-girder and at the cantilevers of the axis-beams

9 axis-beams on pin ended columns (in the cantilever area as gallery)
made of girders with an asymmetrical cross-section (ASB)
9 columns of storey height as pin ended columns made from hollow rectangular cross-
sections filled with concrete
9 T-bracing in the unit areas for stabilization and transverse distribution of the horizontal
load in longitudinal and transversal direction of the building
9 pyramid-shaped supporting construction in the entrance hall,
suspended ellipsoid platforms as meeting points
9 glass cover over the atrium
9 surrounding glass front - suspended from the pyramid cap frames
This clear and symmetrical structure has some specialities, which may only be seen with a
second view to the static system:

i
A B C D ~ E F G H

T-bracing

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV 671

Due to the cantilever-loading of the axis-beams there exists an uneven distribution of sup-
porting loads (2/3 interior column -1/3 exterior column). In the case of a uniform distribution
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

of load on an partial area this influence increases more. This results in moments around the
base of the pyramid, which lead to high horizontal forces on the T-bracing. In transverse
direction of the building the described load arrangement becomes the priority for the T-
bracing, which leads to unfavourable horizontal strains.
The tilting moment around the base of the pyramid can be used to calculate the horizontal
forces of the connection. The approximate values are (rounded values / only strains, which
cause tilting moments:

high Pyramid: (~ MD
9 cladding axis A: = 3086 kNm
| ceiling, roof: = 12235 kNm
| roof construction: = 919 kNm
| imposed load: = 2933 kNm
sum: 7135 kNm
Every T-bracing takes the loading og one half of the length of the building:
Pyramid h=14m: Hd1=~/2 -7135/t4,0 = 255 kN

low P~amid: (E MS)

| cladding axis H: = 3086 kNm
| ceiling, roof: = 19950 kNm
| roof construction: = 919 kNm
| imposed load: 10462 kNm
sum 28245 kNm
On each T-bracing one half of the load is acting:
Pyramide h=4m: Hd2==/2 -28245/4,0 3531 kN

Further strains result from snow, wind and restraint forces (only the high downward Ioadings
are shown here).

For the connection of the horizontal strains to the T-bracing a design feature should be
mentioned: As can be seen in the next detailed sketch the supplementary installation of the
sanitary units required a
raising of the floor level
(complete sanitary units 1800 (
comparable to containers
with their own floors). ~

The strains concentrate

especially above the lower Oamflor210// I
pyramids and lead
together with the lever arm
between ceiling platform
and the connection at the
bracing to a considerable ~,~.___,.~.__._W____ z-- d I II __.~,.
mismatch moment.
Special design solutions
were necessary in order to
distribute the strains.

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 672 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV

3. Detailed solutions
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

3.1 Ceiling construction

210 mm deep, 1.25 mm thick galvanized steel deck profiles were used for the ceilings. The
7.2 m beam used a maximum of two temporary props during construction for cost reduction.
The requirements of 90 minutes fire resistance (F 90) were achieved by using reinforced
bars ( 2 x 020) in the ribs.

Supporting beams with asymmetrical cross-sections (ASB sections) were used for the axis
supports. They enable a simple assembly of the ComFIor metal sheets and a low
construction height of the storey-ceilings. The overall height of the ceiling is based on the
height of the support and the required concrete (276mm + 34 mm fire prevention covering
above the support flange = 310mm.).
This results in a ceiling size of
310-22-210= 78 mm concrete
thickness. The cross section of
the reinforced concrete of the
ceiling amounts to 220 cm2/m
(d~z22cm).

The ASB is rolled with a grid

pattern at the top flange to
increase the composite action
between the overlying in-situ
concrete and the beam. This
composite effect was not taken
into consideration, because
appropriate regulations did not
exist. The participation of the
concrete cover was not taken
into account. For negative
bending strains some of the ASB-profiles (e.g. in case of cantilevers with additional loading
from glass-roof, stairs or units) had to be reinforced. In order to achieve this, additional
plates were welded on to web, the prime area for fire resistance.

After applying the galvanized steel deck profiles the ends of the ComFIor-plates are closed
by fitting covers and the beam-chambers are reinforced (for fire resistance - as a substitute
for the missing underflange in case of fire). Bolts at the web allow the distribution of the
shearing forces in the ceiling plate. The edges of the ceilings have been additionally
reinforced in order to guarantee the plate effect.

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV 673

3.2 Pyramids
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

The main columns of the

building form an inverted
pyramid system. The upper
corners of the pyramids are
connected to a separate
headframe below the platform,
which takes the horizontal
loads and the suspended
loads. The ASB beams above
absorb the platform loads.
Thereby considerable
stabilization forces develop as
well as locally concentrated
load discharges at pivot points.
These are managed by
massive steel parts which
project into the columns.

The corner points of the head frame are formed with 50 mm strong "blades". They are
connected by HEB-profiles, which act as tension links (up to 6000 kN) and support the
meeting rooms. Welded-on "steel troughs" act as casing for the concrete coat of the support
beams.

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 674 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV

The bottom of the pyramids has the same outer circumference (457mm) as the single
columns and has to take over the concentrated vertical strains and the horizontal loads
Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

(especially from the tilting moment). Considering the fire requirements, this was only
possible with a composite cross section. The distribution of forces into the single columns
and the shear force are taken over by a core made from a 100 mm thick Y-shaped load-
carrying construction. The concrete filling of the column serves mainly as a fire protection
cover of the core. It doesn't have any major part in the cross section load capacity.

150(]
ArbeiBfugc (StFop~'kBrp~rodcr 0bscholen)

The pyramids were first erected as a steel construction, which made it possible to reach a
low erection weight. The superstructure could thus be erected up to level +14m and was
equipped with the final horizontal fixture by concreting the slim-floor-ceilings.
This condition during erection was important for the design of the pipe wall thickness (0457
mm x 10/16mm) Connections for a concrete pump were planned at the bottom in order to fill
the complete pyramid structure from the bottom to the top with concrete. Through additional
pneumatic concrete filling of the tube sections a composite construction develops, which at
the same time guaranteed the fire protection of the connection areas.
The effect of the 'post-composite' compound on the final load capacity of the columns
remained ignorably small in this case. This influence is mainly determined by the
slenderness of the columns and the load ratio "q of the steel profile prior to concreting. It can
be simulated in calculation as a pre-deformation of the composite column. This additional
eccentricity was small in the case under consideration, because the load was low (high
pyramids) or the slenderness of the columns was relatively small (low pyramids).
The holes in the columns (in order to release the inside pressure in case of fire) could be
used for inspection during the concreting process. The concrete injection of the columns
from the bottom of the pyramid upwards guarantees a complete filling without cavities and
prevents separation of the concrete (which can be the result of pouring from a great height).

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV

 COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION IN STEEL AND CONCRETE IV 675

3.3 Storey columns

Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by University of California, San Diego on 04/19/16. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.

For the storey columns square pipes were used, which were filled with reinforced concrete
to have F90 quality. They were prefabricated in the factory and at the building site they were
fixed to a central bolt, which is located in a fireproof area in the middle of the column.
Screws in the cap- and base-plates were used for safe storage during assembly; they are
not necessary in case of fire. Drilled holes in the steel plate were used for the concrete
injection and act as pressure release valves in case of fire.

3.4 T-bracing
The T-bracings for the support of the horizontal loads had to be limited to a height of 200
mm; the originally planned sanitary units and the fire protection cover did not leave a bigger
gap. The columns had therefore to be constructed as welded rectangular cross-sections. At
an axial compression force of up to 9000kN and with an effective length between the
ceilings of about 3.5 m massive cross-sections have resulted in order to avoid buckling in
the direction of the weak axis.
For the dimensioning of the cross sections the stability calculations became the guidelines,
as well as the deflection limits at the top of the bracing. Due to the concentrated direct
support at the connection points the bracing was completely welded in two prefabricated
parts.

References
[1] AIT Architektur, Innenarchitektur, Technischer Ausbau, 4-99,
Verlagsanstalt Alexander Koch GmbH, Leinfelden-Echterdingen
[2] Bauwelt Nr 28/29, 89 Jahrgang, Juli 1998
[3] Diekmann, Christoph: ,,Verbundsti3tzen mit nachtr~iglicher oder bereichsweiser
Betonierung", Technical Reports Nr 89-8, Ruhr-Universit~it Bochum

Composite Construction in Steel and Concrete IV