Beruflich Dokumente
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Journal
Tall buildings: design, construction and operation | 2008 Issue III
Authors
Chris Carroll, Paul Cross, Xiaonian Duan, Craig
Gibbons, Goman Ho, Michael Kwok, Richard
Lawson, Alexis Lee, Ronald Li, Andrew Luong,
Rory McGowan, Chas Pope
Arup
05 CTBUH News and Events Energy Consumption working in more than 90 offices in 37 countries.
Antony Wood, CTBUH given project may involve people from any or all of
the sectors or regions in which they operate. Arup
has extensive experience in the field of tall
buildings, having provided core multidisciplinary
design services for such notable projects as 30 St.
Figure 1. Architect’s impression of the building
Figure 2. Uniform bracing pattern Figure 3. Unfolded’ view of final bracing pattern
Executive Director 50 Review Center (ICC) in Hong Kong, and the I.Q. Tower in
Doha, Qatar.
Arup
The new headquarters of China Central Television contains the entire television-making process
within a single building. The 234m tall tower redefines the form of the skyscraper, with the
primary system comprised of a continuous structural tube of columns, beams and braces
ng. In their architectural response, however,
OMA decided that by doing just this, it should
be possible to break down the ‘ghettoes’ that
tend to form in a complex and compartmen-
Development of the structural form
From the outset, it was determined that the
only way to deliver the desired architectural
form of the CCTV building was to engage the
two-storey module (see Figure 2). This was
chosen to coincide with the location of several
double-height studios within the Towers. A
stiff floor plate diaphragm is therefore only
around the entire skin of the building. In order to gain structural approval an Expert Panel
06 Global News Tall Buildings + Sustainability caused by these movements. ” District (CBD), but not necessarily in one build- features. and diagonal steel braces set out on a typically
Authors
Though often bandied about by architectural form chasers, the invention of typologies are
Farm is a complex system rather than a single
building. In other words, the Vertical Farm is not
merely a building where you grow tomatoes
and shortened corn situated in the milieu of an
distance, you witness transparent shelves of
color and texture cantilevered off the structural
core of the living system (see Figure 1). The
shelves are agricultural programmed boxes,
rare. The fortuitous resultant of social imperatives, cultural and economic necessity, intrac-
Conference: Review,
1
Eric C. Ellingsen
2 table environmental pressures and technological prodigality, architectural typologies, like urban setting; rather, the Vertical Farm is a each striated with modern fields of ripe Figure 1. The Vertical Farm model from above as seen in
Dickson Donald Despommier
25 Letters functional part of the urban system itself. The agricultural foliage: vegetation, fruits, etc. the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
real paradigm shifts, are mostly nothing more than UFO sightings: stories dreamt up in bars
1
College of Architecture and wishfully elaborated for credibility in digital manifestoes. Vertical Farm is not merely a skyscraper with (Note: the particular foods in each shelf would
Illinois Institute of Technology farm plots chopped up like strips of turf and be controlled to cancel the foods traveling the
Case Study
Pennsylvania, (2005); a Masters in Classical history of the duct (think of the Vertical Farm as the steel frame could be enmeshed with your city); food, the only part of farming which residents, gardens and vertical parks linking
Philosophy, St. John’s College, Annapolis MD (2000).
Reyer Banham might, a history of the near mechanical technology, the individual, the consumers see while the rest of the industrial the outside of the shelves with the living and
exchange.
He is a Senior Lecturer at the College of
Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology, and future). microbe, the city. It was near this time that the process remaining invisible, unquestioned, the labs (see Figure 2). As you look closer you
serves as Assistant Director of the Graduate
Landscape Program. surgical suite replaces the anatomical theater, absolved by sheer ignorance. Essentially, the will notice that some of the programmatic
and the natural environment is linked together Vertical Farm allows us to address in one shelves contain grazing colors, which seem to
In 1906 the Royal Victoria Hospital, by Henman in a living mechanical architectural system, ambitious but realistic strategy, the precarious be in motion. Upon closer inspection (see
Dickson Donald Despommier
and Cooper, opened in Belfast, Ireland. which addressed social, societal, political, and tricky crisis of modernity between the Figure 3) you notice pigs and chickens, not the
Dickson Donald Despommier holds a Ph. D in
(Banham, 1969). It was the first modernized, biological, and individual needs. It was the individual and the city, which French sour image via noisome smell of the factory
Biology from University of Notre Dame (1967), a
Masters in Science in Medical Parasitology from air-conditioned building in the world, and duct which permitted the reinvention of the philosopher Paul Ricour stated so poignantly, it farm hidden out of site and attempting to
Columbia University (1964). He is a Professor of launched the hospital as an apparatus that hospital, which had been in existence since allows us to participate in the local place and evade the eye, but rather sterile and proud
Public Health and Microbiology at Columbia
simultaneously reached across multiple scales
Research
53 Alan Jalil 36 Partial Occupancies for Phased and
Multi-Use Tall Buildings
"What if parts of a building could be occupied
Profile - CTBUH Country before the entire building is completed?"
Author
Robert Lau
In the Spring 2004 issue of the CTBUH journal I wrote an article ‘Multiple Phase Construction
for a Multi-Use Tall Building’. This article noted the financial risk that multi-use buildings can be
exposed to because they can be constructed without becoming fully occupied upon
Aug. 2008 b. Phase II office floors 23-34 occupied in large-scale construction projects. Both Partial While current requirements are sometimes
Typology
2005 conference in New York City. He was also a
member of the NY conference’s committee that views of designers, contractors, building difficult to assess, planning for future
2. Trump Tower Chicago by Skidmore, April 2007 Occupancy and Phased Construction projects
reviewed the papers to be presented. owners, the city government that the project is requirements can be even more difficult. It is
Owings, and Merrill (Bergen 2008) can benefit the financial bottom-line for
In addition to practicing architecture in Chicago, he constructed in, and the current tenants while 2. Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago by critical that the developer is aware of the risks
is a Construction Committee member with the investors by their advantages.
the construction is taking place. While there a. Hotel floors 14–27 occupied in Jan. Goettsch Partners (Corning 2008) involved for predicting the future. As
Windy City Habitat for Humanity (local affiliate).
are several examples of partial high-rise 2008 construction material costs have risen in the
a. Phase I office floors to 32 occupied in
36 Robert Lau
worker population of 8,000 total for both any project, advanced planning is required in
“What is crucial to understand at the outset is that the Vertical Farm is a complex
system rather than a single building. In other words, the Vertical Farm is not
merely a building where you grow tomatoes and corn situated in the milieu of an
urban setting; rather, the Vertical Farm is a functional part of the urban system
itself.”
Visit www.ctbuh.org for more on the global tall building
Eric Ellingsen and Dickson Despommier, page 26 industry and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Global Environmental
Your tall Contextualism
Gordon Gill & Robert Forest,
building
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
image Architecture
here! CTBUH 8th World Congress,
Dubai, March 3 – 5, 2008
© Photographer
Global News and sustainable construction from around the world. Each issue, the CTBUH Journal publishes selected feeds from
the online archive. For comprehensive industry news, visit the Global news Archive at: www.ctbuh.org/news.htm
Nakheel Harbour & Tower: World’s Songdo City Gateway Center to be Economic Crisis Slows Chicago’s
Tallest Building Under Construction designed by KlingStubbins High-rise Boom
The initiation of foundation works by Nakheel The 3.4 million square foot Gateway Business The tall building boom that has seen 32 of the
on the new Harbour and Tower development Center that will form the entrance to Songdo tallest 100 skyscrapers in Chicago completed
in Dubai has bestowed upon the developer City – the new 1,500 Acre international or under construction in the last 8 years, has
possession of the speculative title of “Tallest business district in Incheon, South Korea – is to been dealt a blow by the news that
Building Under Construction in the World”. be designed by Philadelphia firm construction on two of the city’s future
While the final height for the signature tower KlingStubbins. The Center will consist of five supertall towers has been put on hold. The
has not been announced, the developer has undulating glazed office towers, sitting atop a Chicago Spire - set to be the tallest building in
asserted that the structure will reach “more multi-level retail base with underground North America at 610 meters upon
than a kilometer in height”, and contain more parking facilities. Each of the towers will have a completion – and the 319 meter tall
than 200 occupiable floors. rooftop garden sheltered by 12-meter-high Waterview Tower (pictured) have both halted
Designed by architect Woods Bagot and glazed walls and a trellis of photovoltaic construction in recent weeks, with little
engineered by WSP in conjunction with Leslie panels. The gardens will offer building indication as to when they may resume.
E. Robertson Associates, the Nakheel tower occupants sweeping views of the dramatic Shelbourne, the Chicago Spire developers, say
bears marks of aesthetic influence from the Songdo skyline, Central Park and the Yellow they will start working on the superstructure
surrounding Islamic architecture, and Sea. In terms of sustainability, the designers are again when the market stabilizes and are in
integrates an innovative structural design striving to achieve LEED Silver certification for
strategy employing a series of individual
towers linked at critical floors to create a rigid
the building.
...density
“
bundled tube system.
The developer has announced its goal of Architects have to really embrace density… Policy makers
need to put their futurist hat on and understand that density is coming.
”
achieving the highest LEED rating possible for
a building of this size. The megaproject Instead of fighting it, they need to find ways of making it work.
includes another 40 towers of substantial, if
comparatively modest size, ranging from 20 to Stephan Reinke, European managing director of Woods Bagot, discusses how further tall building
90 stories. In all the complex is expected to construction is inevitable, following a report from the British Property Federation arguing that tall
reach completion in ten years, with various buildings reap significant productivity gains as people work more closely together through
phases (including the signature tower) coming competition, networking and economies of scale. From ‘Towers will aid growth, says BPF’, Building
online at earlier stages. Design, September 9th, 2008
© 3XN Architects
King Abdullah inaugurates Work suspended on Brisbane’s INDEX, the 80 storey skyscraper by
1000m+ tall ‘Kingdom Tower’ in tallest Union Properties Tops Out
Jeddah Construction on the 79-storey Vision Tower INDEX, the 80-storey tower designed by Foster
King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy project in Brisbane has been suspended after & Partners, reached a developmental
Mosques, has unveiled and inaugurated two months of speculation. Although excavation is milestone recently when the structure was
colossal projects in Jeddah; Kingdom City and already underway on the scheme’s topped out at 328 meters. The tower project
the Kingdom Tower. The unveiling of the underground car-park, further construction has been developed by Union Properties, a
designs was held at the opening of a major has been halted because financial Dubai-based property investment company.
international architectural exhibition “Towards arrangements for the project have not been Within the extruded, rectilinear form of INDEX
the First World” in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 11th finalized. The mixed-use tower, designed by are 25 floors of premium office space, 40 floors
October, 2008. It was the first time the designs architects The Buchan Group, would be one of of residential units, 7 penthouse levels and 3
for Kingdom City and the Kingdom Tower the tallest buildings in Australia if complete. retail levels. Floor plates have been sized and
were revealed publicly. The 7.1 square However, despite this setback, project oriented to minimize heat gain during the
kilometer Kingdom City development will be developer Austcorp remains confident that the hottest hours of the day and exterior fins
one of the largest and most comprehensive tower will be built when market conditions provide additional shading to interior
projects to be built in Saudi Arabia and is improve. The Vision Tower is the second tall perimeter spaces.
located at Obhur, North of the creek of Jeddah. building in Brisbane to suffer at the hands of
The centerpiece of the development will be the recent global economic situation. INDEX is by far the largest development by
the landmark Kingdom Tower, which will rise Proposals for the Empire Square Tower (250m) Union Properties to date. It is expected to
from a large retail and conference centre have been cancelled due to ‘uncertainties and open in 2009.
podium to a height of 1,000+ meters. The constraints in financial markets’, according to
tower will include five-star hotel project developer Metacap. ...green buildings
accommodations,
“
office space and
From now on, not one more building should be rated as green or environmentally
”
luxury residences
that encompass friendly without its utility bills first proving that it is energy efficient.
dramatic, sweeping
views of the Red Sea, Henry Gifford, Engineer at EastSideEnergyCompany with 25+ years experience making buildings energy efficient, using
Obhur Creek and the common sense approaches, explaining why LEED buildings use more energy than comparable buildings, and how to
mountains to the avoid the same results. From ‘A Better Way to Rate Green Buildings’, www.henrygifford.com
east.
© MAD Ltd.
Antony Wood and Tim Johnson awarding the ‘Best Tall Building Overall’ Award to Akiko Yoshiura, President of the Mori
Building Company; Eugene Kohn and William Pedersen of architects KPF and Sawteen See of structural engineers LERA.
12 | CTBUH 7th Awards Dinner, 2008 CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
Best Tall Building Overall + Best Tall Best Tall Building Award Best Tall Building Award Best Tall Building Award
Building Award Africa & Middle East Americas Europe
Asia & Australasia Bahrain World Trade Center New York Times Building 51 Lime Street
Shanghai World Financial Center Bahrain New York London
Shanghai Atkins Renzo Piano Building Workshop / Foster + Partners
Kohn Pederson Fox FXFOWLE Architects
graphs and drawings. would have been possible but costly. The
new, taller structure would not only have
to be made lighter, but would need to
resist higher wind loads, which increase
exponentially with height.
Structural diagram showing how the various components of structure work together
lifetime achievement awards, the Lynn S. frame with added outrigger trusses coupled
to the columns of the mega-structure. This
enabled the weight of the building to be
reduced by more than 10% and resulted in
a reduced cost for the structure, provided
Medal.
36 WINNER | ASIA & AUSTRALASIA 37
The book also features the official list of the 2008 BEST TALL BUILDING
MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA PROJECT DETAILS
The Bahrain World Trade Center is the of the existing shopping mall towards the April 2008
world’s first building to integrate large- sea and creating a secondary axis from the
scale wind turbines; and together with Hotel, “Retail Streets” were established. The
Height
240 meters/787 feet
Illinois Institute of Technology and Elsevier / height criteria upon which tall buildings are
technological precedent. The BWTC has originated from regional “Wind Towers” Owner / Developer
Confidential
shown that commercial developments can and their ability to funnel wind, and the
be created with a strong environmental vast sails of the traditional Arabian Dhow Architect
WS Atkins & Partners
agenda and addresses the needs of our as they harness the breeze in driving them
future generations. The BWTC encapsulates forward. After careful Computational Fluid Structural Engineer
measured.
WS Atkins & Partners
national pride for Bahrain residents, and breeze between them, creating a negative
“The Bahrain World Trade
ISBN: 978-1-85617-674-3 Center, with its three
massive turbines, gives
a very strong visual nod
is attributed with generating economic
prosperity within the capital of Manama.
Authors
Chris Carroll, Paul Cross, Xiaonian Duan, Craig
Gibbons, Goman Ho, Michael Kwok, Richard
Lawson, Alexis Lee, Ronald Li, Andrew Luong,
Rory McGowan, Chas Pope
Arup
ing. In their architectural response, however, Development of the structural form two-storey module (see Figure 2). This was
OMA decided that by doing just this, it should From the outset, it was determined that the chosen to coincide with the location of several
be possible to break down the ‘ghettoes’ that only way to deliver the desired architectural double-height studios within the Towers. A
tend to form in a complex and compartmen- form of the CCTV building was to engage the stiff floor plate diaphragm is therefore only
talized process like making TV programmes, entire façade structure, creating in essence an guaranteed on alternate storeys, hence lateral
and create a building whose layout in three external continuous tube system. This would loads from intermediate levels are transferred
dimensions would force all those involved to give the structure the largest available dimen- back to the principal diaphragm levels via the
mix and produce a better end-product more sions to resist the huge bending forces gener- internal core and the columns.
efficiently. ated by the cranked, leaning form – as well as
loads from wind and extreme earthquakes.
However, results of the preliminary analysis
The winning design for the 473,000m², showed that the forces in the braces varied
234m tall, CCTV building (see Figure 1) thus The ‘tube’ is formed by fully bracing all sides of considerably around the structure, with
combines administration and offices, news the façade. The planes of bracing are continu- particular concentrations near the roof of the
and broadcasting, programme production ous through the building volume in order to Overhang and at the connection to the Base.
and services – the entire TV-making process reinforce and stiffen the corners. The system This led to an optimization process in which
– in a single loop of interconnected activities is ideally suited to deal with the nature and the brace pattern was modified by adding or
around the four elements of the building: the intensity of permanent and temporary loading removing diagonals (i.e. ‘doubling’ or ‘halving’
nine-storey ‘Base’, the two leaning Towers that on the building, and is a versatile, efficient the pattern), depending on the strength and
slope at 6° in each direction, and the nine to structure which can bridge in bending and stiffness requirements of the design, based on
13-storey ‘Overhang’, suspended 36 storeys in torsion between the Towers, provide enough a Level 1 earthquake analysis. This also enabled
the air. strength and stiffness in the Towers to deliver a degree of standardization of the brace ele-
loads to the ground, and stiffen up the Base ment section sizes (see Figure 3).
to reinforce the lower Tower levels and deliver
The public facilities are in a second building, loads to the foundations in the most favour-
the Television Cultural Centre (TVCC), and both able possible distribution, given the geometry. This was an extremely iterative process due
are serviced from a third Service Building that to the high indeterminacy of the structure,
houses major plant as well as security. The with each changing of the pattern altering the
whole development will provide 599,000m² The tube was originally envisaged as a regular dynamic behaviour of the structure and hence
gross floor area and covers 187,000m², includ- pattern of perimeter steel or steel-reinforced the seismic forces that are attracted by each
ing a landscaped media park with external concrete (SRC) columns, perimeter beams, element. It was carried out in close
features. and diagonal steel braces set out on a typically
paths are heavily influenced by stiffness, each Inelastic deformation acceptance limits for the tory analysis method were used to determine
small change in element property moves load key structural brace members in the con- the seismic deformation demands in terms of
around locally. Optimizing the elements only tinuous tube were determined by non-linear the maximum inelastic inter-storey drifts and
for capacity would result in the entire load numerical simulation of the post-buckling be- the maximum inelastic member deformation.
gradually being attracted to the inside corner haviour. LS-DYNA, commonly used to simulate These deformation demands were compared
columns, making them prohibitively large, so car crash behaviour, was used for this work. against the structure’s deformation capacities
careful control had to be made of when an The braces are critical to both the lateral as storey-by-storey and member-by-member to
element’s section size could be reduced and well as the gravity systems of the building and verify the seismic performance of the entire
when there was a minimum size required to are also the primary sources of ductility and building. All global and local seismic deforma-
maintain the stiffness of the tube at the back seismic energy dissipation. Non-linear numeri- tion demands were shown to be within their
face. cal simulation of the braces was needed to respective acceptance limits.
establish the post-buckling axial force/axial de-
formation degradation relationship to be used
To further validate the multi-directional modal in the global 3-D non-linear simulation model. Foundation design
response spectrum analyses, Level 1 time- It was also used to determine the inelastic de- The design of the foundations required that
history checks were also made using real and formation (axial shortening) acceptance limit the applied superstructure loads be redistribut-
artificially-generated seismic records. in relation to the stated performance criteria. ed across the raft so as to engage enough piles
Post-buckling inelastic degradation relation- to provide adequate strength and stiffness. To
ship curves illustrate the strength degradation validate the load spread to the pile group, an
Non-linear superstructure seismic design iterative analysis process was used adopting a
as the axial shortening increases under cyclic
For the performance-based design, a set of non-linear soil model coupled with a discrete
axial displacement time history loading. The
project-specific ‘design rules’ were proposed by model of the piled raft system (see Figure 4).
acceptable inelastic deformation was then
the design team and reviewed and approved Several hundred directional load case com-
determined from the strength degradation
by the expert panel, for example allowable binations were automated in a spreadsheet
‘backbone’ curve to ensure that there was suf-
post-yield strains in each type of element. controlling the GSRaft soil-structure interaction
ficient residual strength to support the gravity
Appropriate linear and non-linear seismic solver.
loads after a severe earthquake event.
response simulation methods were selected
to verify the performance of the building
under all three levels of design earthquake. Having established the inelastic global The analysis iteratively modelled the redistri-
Seismic force and deformation demands were structure and local member deformation bution of load between piles when their safe
compared with the acceptance limits estab- acceptance limits, the next step was to carry working load was reached. The analysis was
lished earlier to rigorously demonstrate that all out non-linear numerical seismic response repeated for each load case until the results
three qualitative performance objectives were simulation of the entire 3-D building subjected converged and all piles were within the allow-
achieved. to Level 2 and Level 3 design earthquakes. able capacities. Finally, the envelope of these
Both the non-linear static pushover analysis analyses was then used to design the raft
method and the non-linear dynamic time his- reinforcement.
Connection Design before the braces buckle or yield - assuming columns, spanning between the internal
The force from the braces and edge-beams the maximum probable material properties - core and the external tube structure. They
must be transferred through and into the to evaluate the stress magnitude and degree are typically two storeys deep and located in
column sections with minimal disruption to of stress concentration in the joints. The shape plant floors so as to be hidden from view and
the stresses already present in the column. The of the butterfly plate was then adjusted by to minimize the impact on floor planning. The
connection is formed by replacing the flanges smoothing out corners and notches until po- sizes of the transfer trusses mean that they
of the steel column with large ‘butterfly’ plates, tential regions of yielding were minimized and could potentially act as outriggers linking
which pass through the face of the column the degree of stress concentration reduced to the external tube to the internal steel cores -
and then connect with the braces and the levels typically permitted in civil and me- undesirable as this would introduce seismic
edge-beams. No connection is made to the chanical engineering practice. CAD files of the forces into the relatively slender internal cores.
web of the column to simplify the detailing resulting geometry of the joints were exported The transfer trusses are thus connected to the
and construction. from the finite element models and used for internal cores and the external columns at
further drawing production. singular ‘pin-joint’ locations only.
Construction sequencing the lower part of the Overhang at ground level sis and is one of China’s foremost universities.
The final stresses in the building are linked and strand jack the assembly into position; The independent site supervisor was Yuanda
to its construction sequence. In addition to and constructing incremental cantilevers from International.
regular gravity and lateral forces acting on the each Tower until the two met and connected
structure, there are significant additional con- at the centre of the Overhang (see Figure 8).
struction stage forces due to the fact that the The latter approach was as described in Arup’s Excavation and foundations
building comprises two separate leaning Tow- documentation, though any construction The ground-breaking ceremony took place
ers with cantilever up until the point at which approach was deemed acceptable provided it on 22 September 2004, and the excavation of
they are joined to become one structure. The could satisfy the locked-in stress limits defined 870 000m3 of earth began the following
additional bending and overturning stresses in the Particular Specification. month under an advance contract. Strict
that get “locked” into the Towers and founda- construction regulations in Beijing meant
tions prior to joining depend on the amount that spoil could only be removed at night:
of structure and façade completed at the time China State Construction Engineering Corpo- nonetheless, up to 12 000m3 of soil was re-
of connection. ration (CSCEC) was awarded the main contract moved each day, the entire excavation taking
in April 2005. CSCEC tendered on this third 190 days. Dewatering wells were also installed,
approach. since the groundwater level was above the
In essence, the greater the construction load maximum excavation depth of 27.4m below
applied to the building prior to connecting existing ground level.
the two Towers, the more this would manifest Construction team
itself as increased locked-in base moments in CSCEC, a state-owned enterprise under the
the Towers. After the connection was made, administration of the central government, The two Towers are supported on separate
any added weight would result in a thrust was established in 1982 and is China’s largest piled raft foundations with up to 370 rein-
between the two Towers via the Overhang. construction and engineering group. CSCEC forced concrete bored piles beneath each,
now enjoys an international reputation, having typically 33m long and up to 1.2m in diameter.
completed an increasing number of projects In total, 1242 piles were installed during the
As part of the Particular Specification, the abroad including the Middle East, South spring and summer of 2005.
Construction Sequence report defined an America and Africa. The steelwork fabricators
upper and lower bound range of permissible were Grand Tower, part of the Bao Steel group
locked-in stress, allowing the contractor some based in Shanghai (China’s largest steel manu- The Tower rafts were constructed over Christ-
flexibility in choosing his final construction facturer), and Jiangsu Huning Steel, based in mas 2005. The 7m thick reinforced concrete
sequence. Jixing, Jiangsu Province. slabs each contain up to 39 000m³ of concrete
and 5000 tonnes of reinforcement. Each raft
was constructed in a single continuous pour
A number of construction methods were Other members of the team were Turner Con- lasting up to 54 hours. At one stage, 720m3
proposed for the Overhang. These included struction (USA), providing support to CSCEC of concrete was being delivered every hour,
constructing of a temporary tower the full on construction logistics, China Academy of using a relay of 160 concrete trucks from three
162m height to the underside of the Over- Building Research (CABR), one of the major suppliers. Chilled water pipes were embed-
hang, providing a working platform to build design institutes in Beijing, and Tsinghua Uni- ded inside the pour and temperatures were
the Overhang connection in situ; constructing versity, which carried out the presetting analy- monitored for more than two weeks to ensure
that the concrete did not experience too high The elements were lifted into place by two being lifted a short distance off the ground,
a temperature gradient during curing. The two tower cranes working inside each Tower, using a chain block. This simplified the erec-
rafts, poured within days of each other, were including M1280D cranes imported from tion process at height.
the largest single continuous concrete pours Australia – the largest ever used in China’s
ever undertaken by China’s building industry. building industry.
In total, 133 343m³ of concrete went into the The vertical core structure was generally
foundations of the Towers and podium. erected three storeys ahead of the perimeter
Each crane not only had to be raised up to frame. This meant that the perimeter columns
14 times during construction, but also skewed could be initially bolted in place and braced to
The seismic analysis indicated that some col- sideways up to four times when it reached the core columns with temporary stays, then
umns and their foundation piles could experi- the upper levels, to maintain position relative released from the tower crane before final
ence tension during a severe design earth- to the edges of the progressively shifting surveying and positioning. The welders could
quake. Some of the perimeter columns and floorplate. then start the full-penetration butt welds re-
their baseplates were therefore embedded 6m quired at every connection: a time-consuming
into the rafts to enhance their anchorage (see task requiring shift work to achieve a continu-
Figure 9). Certain piles were also designed for Due to the 6° slope of the Towers, the perim- ous 24-hour process.
tension. eter elements needed to be adjusted to ap-
proximately the correct installation angle after
The maximum plate thickness of the columns
Steelwork construction is 110mm and the volume of weld sometimes
The first column element was placed on reaches as much as 15% of the total con-
13 February 2006. In total, 41 882 steel ele- nection weight. At the extreme case, a few
ments with a combined weight of 125 000 connection plates near the base of the Tower
tonnes, including connections, were erected required a 15m long site splice of 100mm thick
over the next 26 months, at a peak rate of 8000 plate, each taking a week to complete. The
tonnes per month. plate thickness of some elements exceeded
the maximum assumed in design, which had
been determined by likely steel availability.
During the design it was thought that some Onerous material specifications were laid
high-grade steel elements would need to be out for thick sections to ensure satisfactory
imported, but in the end all the steel came performance.
from China, reflecting the rapid advances of
the country’s steelwork industry. Steel sections
were fabricated at the yards of Grand Tower The geometrical complexity made construc-
in Shanghai and Huning in Jiangsu, and then tion slower than for other steel-framed build-
delivered to site by road (see Figure 10), with ings. Although the rate of erection increased
a size limit of either the tower crane capacity as the contractor became more familiar with
(80 tonnes) or the maximum physical dimen- the process, CCTV has no “typical floors”.
sions that could be transported (18m length). Nevertheless, up to six storeys per month
Figure 9. Column embedded in raft
was achieved for the relatively uniform
levels at Tower mid-height. Concreting the The presetting process was further com- The contractor commissioned CABR to
composite columns and floor slabs took plicated by the fact that when completed, carry out the movement monitoring, while
place several storeys behind steel erection, off almost all the columns have different stresses, Tsinghua University performed the building
the critical path. depending on the ratio of gravity to seismic movement prediction and presetting analysis
loads, unlike in a conventional building as required by the Arup specification. This
where all perimeter elements will be similarly required a more detailed time history analysis
Movements and presets stressed. As a result, different presets were of the final construction sequence, dividing
Arup’s calculations included a “construction required on different sides of the Towers, the process into 53 assumed stages based
time history” analysis to take account of the the exact values also depending on the final on estimated progress for the perimeter
effects of the predicted construction method construction sequence. In practical terms, tube, core, slab concreting, façade, services,
and sequence on the completed building’s this meant fabricating the columns longer on and interior fit-out. This was compared with
deflections and built-in forces. This indicated one side of each Tower, so that they would the results of the movement monitoring,
that the corner of the Overhang would move eventually shorten to the correct geometry and checks and adjustments were made as
downwards by approximately 300mm under under load. necessary.
the building’s dead weight. For there to be no
overall downward deflection under this load
case, the whole structure needed to be pre- Presetting was in two stages: at the fabrica- The studies found that the movements
set upwards and backwards to compensate tion yard, based on the results of the ana- during Overhang construction would be
(see Figure 11). The contractor continuously lytical modelling, and then at installation, if far more significant than those at the earlier
monitored construction to ensure that the required, to suit the actual building deforma- stages caused by the Towers’ lean only. Due
actual movements corresponded to analysis tion as monitored during the course of con- to the large number of variables needed for
assumptions and predictions. struction. Progress of floor plate concreting the presetting calculation (variable axial stiff-
(a) Tower deflects under its own weight was also controlled to suit the assumptions ness, final construction sequence, foundation
made in the presetting estimation. settlement, thermal movements, etc), the
(b) Preset upward and backward main focus of the analysis was on the critical
(c) Resultant: no deflection under self-weight Overhang construction stage. By the time
“ It does not take a NIST report or a rocket scientist to figure out that requiring additional exit stairs
will improve overall occupant evacuation times… The bigger question that needs to be answered is at
what economic cost to society?
”
David Frable, a General Services Administration fire safety engineer, asks the International Code Council to repeal stronger safety requirements for new
skyscrapers that were added to the country’s most widely used building code last year, arguing that they would be too expensive to meet. From
‘Agency Fights Building Code Born of 9/11’, The New York Times, September 7th, 2008.
Overhang erection commenced, there was al- Fabrication accuracy was therefore crucial so that final adjustments could be made to the
ready much movement data from the Tower for this part of the structure, with erection length of the linking elements while they were
construction that could be used to calibrate being carried out piece-by-piece 160m above still on the ground prior to installation.
the analysis. ground level. Trial assembly of these trusses
at the fabrication yard prior to delivery was
essential to ensure that minimal adjustment The contractor chose to connect seven link
Overhang construction would be needed at height. elements at the inside corner of the Over-
Construction of the Overhang began after the hang during this initial connection phase (see
steelwork for the two Towers was completed Figure 13). These were lifted into place – to
to roof level. Tower 2 Overhang began first, in Prior to connection, the two Towers would less than 10mm tolerance – and temporarily
August 2007, and the structure was cantile- move independently of each other due to en- fixed with pins in the space of a few minutes
vered out piece-by-piece from each Tower vironmental conditions, in particular wind and at 9.00am on 8 December 2007, before the
over the course of the next five months (see thermal expansion and contraction. As soon Towers started to move relative to each other
Figure 12). This was the most critical construc- as they were joined, therefore, the elements (see Figure 14). The pins allowed them to carry
tion stage, not only in terms of temporary at the link would have to be able to resist the the thermal loads while the joints were fully
stability but also because its presence and the stresses caused by these movements. As a welded over the following 48 hours.
way it was built would change the behaviour result, the connection strategy required a delay
of those parts of the Tower already construct- joint that could allow a sufficient number of
ed. The forces from the two halves of the partly elements to be loosely connected between The specification originally called for the
constructed Overhang would be concentrated the Towers, then locked off quickly to allow connection to take place while ambient
in the Towers until such time as the two halves them all to carry these forces safely before any temperatures were between 12-28°C (i.e. close
were sufficiently linked and the building relative movement took place. to the standard room temperature assumed
became a single continuous form, when the in analysis). Since the connection took place
Arup specified that this should take place early during winter, the temperature at the time was
loads would start being shared between all of in the morning on a windless day, when the
the permanent structure. around 0°C, so further analysis of the structure
two Towers would be at a uniform tempera- was carried out by the design team to check
ture and the movements at a minimum. the impact of the increased design thermal
The bottom two levels of the Overhang range.
contain 15 transfer trusses that support the in- In the lead-up to connection, Arup’s specifi-
ternal columns and transfer their loads into the cation required one week of monitoring of
external tube. In the corner of the Overhang, Once the initial connection was made, the
global and relative movements so that the remainder of the Overhang steelwork was
these trusses are two-way, resulting in some correct dimensions of the linking elements
complex 3-D nodes with up to 13 connecting progressively installed. With the building now
could be predicted. The relative movements acting as one entity, the Overhang was prop-
elements, weighing approximately 33 tonnes of the Towers during the day were found to be
each. ping and stabilising the two Towers, and con-
around ±10mm. The contractor made the final tinued to attract locked-in stresses as further
measurements of the gap exactly 24 hours be- weight was applied. In addition to the primary
forehand (i.e. at identical ambient conditions) steelwork elements, a continuous steel
plate deck up to 20mm thick was laid down Key elements at the intersection of the The performance-based design approach
on the lowest floors of the Overhang to resist Towers and podium were also post-fixed pioneered on CCTV has since been used suc-
the high in-plane forces that were part of this for similar reasons. In addition, this process cessfully for many other projects in China. The
propping action. The concrete floor slabs were enabled the architectural size of the elements structure of the CCTV building was complet-
only added once the entire primary structure to be controlled, while giving the contractor ed in May 2008, with the façade finished by
had been completed, so as to reduce the additional flexibility to deal with construction the start of the Beijing Olympic Games.
loads during the partially-constructed stage. movements.
Again, the construction stage analysis needed
to take account of this sequencing. That the contractor could construct such a
Delay joints were introduced between the vast and complex building with few delays
Towers and the Base to allow for differential was a credit to the design team and to
A topping-out ceremony on 27 March 2008, settlement between the two structures’ CSCEC, in particular the attention paid to de-
on a specially-constructed platform at the foundations. It should be noted that over half vising a feasible construction sequence from
corner of the Overhang, marked the comple- the predicted settlements were expected to an early stage, and the careful thought about
tion of the steelwork installation. take place after the Towers were constructed the buildability of the primary structural ele-
to their full height, due to the disproportion- ments and connections.
ate effect of the Overhang on the forces in
Post-installation of key elements certain columns. These were fully closed after
Arup’s early analysis showed that the corner completion of the main structure. Further References
columns on the inside faces of the Towers late-cast strips were also provided at several (1) CARROLL, C, et al. CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China:
Structural engineering design and approvals. The Arup
would attract a huge amount of dead load locations around the basement to control Journal, 40(2), pp3-9, 2/2005
from the Overhang, and thus have little spare shrinkage. (2) CARROLL, C, et al. CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China:
capacity for resisting seismic loads. Increas- Building the structure. The Arup Journal, 43(2), pp40-51,
ing the column sizes was rejected since they 2/2008
would become stiffer and hence attract even CONCLUSIONS
higher loads. Instead, the corner column and The project demonstrated that a building Credits
brace elements directly below the Overhang with many complex technical challenges Client: China Central Television
were left out until the end of construction, could be delivered successfully within a Architect: OMA Stedebouw BV, Ole Scheeren and Rem
forcing the dead loads to travel via the diago- tight programme. An international team Koolhaas
nals down adjacent columns and enabling was mobilized to make best use of the firm’s Engineer: Arup
the full capacity of the corner elements to be experience and knowledge, which required Local Design Institute: East China Architectural Design and
available for wind and seismic loads in the seamless co-ordination between a number of Research Institute Co Ltd (ECADI)
projects, expertise use the information contained in the CTBUH Madou Plaza, a recently renovated and
and new trends in Journal. Likewise, I hope our membership expanded 34-story award-winning building
development phi-
Organizer: Main Sponsors:
Gold-Plus
passes along their copy of the Journal to in Brussels, Belgium (see Figure 1) has seen
Sponsor
losophies. other colleagues to give them an opportunity its overall above-ground surface increased
to review it as well. from 32,000 to 40,000 square meters through
This event, as with
Looking forward to the next issue. renovation.
many other recent gatherings of profession-
als active in real estate development areas, Bill Maibusch
also highlighted the need for a re-think of the Turner Construction International
format of such events. Doha, Qatar.
The unprecedented construction boom,
especially felt in the Middle East but also
in many parts of Asia, characterized by a Tall Buildings In Numbers
fascination with high-rise buildings, leads to It was with great interest that I read the new
taller and bolder designs proposed by both ‘Tall Buildings in Numbers’ feature in the
established design firms and a new breed of CTBUH Journal Issue II. Numerous statistics
professionals. have been widely published in the past
When talking to design professionals, I feel about the ‘tallest’ and ‘most iconic’ skyscrapers
there is a need for discussion platforms where built, but very few statistics have ever been
more open and in-depth exchange of ex- published regarding the total number of tall
periences can take place in an effort to raise buildings built. Since the turn of the new mil-
awareness of state-of-the-art design prac- lennium however, primarily via the Internet,
tices. Such gatherings should not only share information about individual tall buildings
success stories but also serve the important has been made widely available, however, Figure 1. Madou Plaza, Brussels, Belgium
function of alerting to problems in our ever globalization of numbers and figures is still
more complex and challenging projects. missing from most media, including the net. At the same time, the plot where the building
Because of the ever increasing number of tall sits has also been widely enlarged through
Dr. Greg Gajer
buildings built worldwide and accommodat- the acquisition of land. In the end, the FAR
Limitless LLC
ing different if not new uses, it is perhaps (floor area ratio) of the project has decreased
Dubai, UAE
time to give the public a wider access to widely from 27.8 to 11.6 while the density
more figures about this evolution. Tall Build- actually newly implemented in the area has
ings in Numbers clearly has such an ambition. been augmented by 25%.
Journal keeps getting better
Now, while global figures are needed to as- This is just an example of illustrating that pre-
As a long time member of The Council, I sess the ever changing global tall buildings cise figures do not always allow us to assess
enjoy reading the CTBUH Journal on a regular market growing taller and taller every day, we the reality in its global aspect! In summary
basis. The last issue of the Journal was very should be aware that individual figures may - yes, we all need figures and numbers about
informative. Two specific articles to mention; be false or misleading, For example, some tall buildings but before sorting them, we
first, Dan O’Connor’s research on building developers start numbering the floors in their need to make sure that we don’t mix apples
facades and fire safety, portrayed two critical projects with a 2-digit figure, thus in the end and pears or that final numbers do represent
elements of every tall building that must be gaining 10 levels to the total numbers of reality and not only some dry statistics.
developed together to provide maximum floors (in this case height – or its representa-
protection of the building’s occupants. Georges Binder
tion – being used as a marketing tool!). Some
The other article, “Tall Buildings in Numbers” regions of the world, and this is especially Buildings & Data sa
gives a great report of how tall buildings have noticeable in Hong Kong, do not number any Brussels, Belgium
evolved over the years, and also a good indi- level ending with 4, for superstitious reasons.
cator of the trends for future tall buildings. There are thus often no levels such as 4, 14,
24, 34…, when travelling up to level 70 in a
Though often bandied about by architectural form chasers, the invention of typologies are
Authors
1
Eric C. Ellingsen
rare. The fortuitous resultant of social imperatives, cultural and economic necessity, intrac-
2
Dickson Donald Despommier table environmental pressures and technological prodigality, architectural typologies, like
real paradigm shifts, are mostly nothing more than UFO sightings: stories dreamt up in bars
1
College of Architecture and wishfully elaborated for credibility in digital manifestoes.
Illinois Institute of Technology
S.R. Crown Hall, 3360 S. State St “The duct is one of the most monumental relationship between parts, rooms, program,
Chicago, IL 60616
[innovations] in the history of environmental mechanical and natural systems of exchange
e: ellingsen@iit.edu
engineering.” and circulation that allowed the hospital to
Reyner Banham (Banham, 1969) become a finely tuned and controlled
2
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Mailman School of Public Health instrument of beauty, very literally an organon
Columbia University However, one such occurrence can be noted of change. (Organic has Greek roots from
60 Haven Ave, Rm. 100 Organon: instrument, tool. (Rykwert, 1992)). At
at the opening of the 20th century, which did
New York, NY 10032
e: ddd1@columbia.edu not appear as visibly among all the that moment architecture evolved as a
wonderful—indeed they are extraordinary!— modern enterprise, not merely a structural
avant-garde manifestoes. It is the modern revolution, but the material embodiment of a
Eric C. Ellingsen
hospital as a new architectural typology and networked, technical, spatial assemblage
Eric C. Ellingsen holds a Masters of Architecture,
and a Master of Landscape from the University of the untold (and not adequately told here) where 19th century structural revolutions of
Pennsylvania, (2005); a Masters in Classical history of the duct (think of the Vertical Farm as the steel frame could be enmeshed with
Philosophy, St. John’s College, Annapolis MD (2000).
He is a Senior Lecturer at the College of Reyer Banham might, a history of the near mechanical technology, the individual, the
Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology, and future). microbe, the city. It was near this time that the
serves as Assistant Director of the Graduate
Landscape Program. surgical suite replaces the anatomical theater,
and the natural environment is linked together
In 1906 the Royal Victoria Hospital, by Henman in a living mechanical architectural system,
Dickson Donald Despommier
and Cooper, opened in Belfast, Ireland. which addressed social, societal, political,
Dickson Donald Despommier holds a Ph. D in
(Banham, 1969). It was the first modernized, biological, and individual needs. It was the
Biology from University of Notre Dame (1967), a
Masters in Science in Medical Parasitology from air-conditioned building in the world, and duct which permitted the reinvention of the
Columbia University (1964). He is a Professor of launched the hospital as an apparatus that hospital, which had been in existence since
Public Health and Microbiology at Columbia
simultaneously reached across multiple scales 4000BC. Thus a mechanism of exchange and
University, NYC, 1982-present. Associate Professor
of Public Health and Microbiology, Columbia of engagement. It addressed and organized environmental controls becomes the impetus
University, NYC,1975-1982. the internal needs of a person and the internal for both new typologies, and a new breed of
control of a building environment, to the architecturally mediated and controlled
mediation of an external population of environmental possibilities, pressures, and
individuals and the external conditions of the constraints, possibilities which leaps and
natural environment. It was the functional
Vertical Farm is not merely a skyscraper with (Note: the particular foods in each shelf would
farm plots chopped up like strips of turf and be controlled to cancel the foods traveling the
rolled into FAR [foot to area ratio] rationed most miles to your now truly sustainable city,
floorplates. Indeed, the Vertical Farm is not and, be selected around the individual dietary
merely about food, but about the unseen and cultural palette of the community). Also,
circuits of energy and materials, labor and springing from the structural core, you notice
resources, capital and infrastructure, residential apartments set like seeds into the
technology and politics upon which our cities more hermitically sealed laboratories in which
depend; food is only a single component of the the agricultural systems would be researched
Vertical Farm, the most visible part, the market and initially cultivated for control purposes and
and marketable part (imagine the politically finally deployed, by way of the core, into the
marketable ‘greenness’ of a 1000ft luscious shelves. Apartments to both scientists and
cornicopic living transparent zone of fertility students, the Vertical Farm also contains Figure 2. The Vertical Farm Park at base of model
next to the black steel and glass skyscraper in program for private residences, and for those
your city); food, the only part of farming which residents, gardens and vertical parks linking
consumers see while the rest of the industrial the outside of the shelves with the living and
process remaining invisible, unquestioned, the labs (see Figure 2). As you look closer you
absolved by sheer ignorance. Essentially, the will notice that some of the programmatic
Vertical Farm allows us to address in one shelves contain grazing colors, which seem to
ambitious but realistic strategy, the precarious be in motion. Upon closer inspection (see
and tricky crisis of modernity between the Figure 3) you notice pigs and chickens, not the
individual and the city, which French sour image via noisome smell of the factory
philosopher Paul Ricour stated so poignantly, it farm hidden out of site and attempting to
allows us to participate in the local place and evade the eye, but rather sterile and proud
global flow at the same time, to embrace public animal production. Finally, you will
modernity and simultaneously return to our notice two systems of tanks; one system
roots.” (Ricour, 1965) Those roots simply exist comprised of smaller pools filled with fish and
1000 feet above the ground. (A ground which shrimp, the other much larger tank linked into
would be better served by forests than by a waste water and bio-solid treatment facility, Figure 3. A vertical Farm in Dubai. Design by Eric Ellingsen
and Dickson Despommier. Image by Eric Ellingsen, Homero
feed-stock, as it turns out.) looking much like active industrial Rios, and Mo Phala.
F G H K
M
L
I C E
D Public Vertical Park System L Vertical agriculture production: hydroponic and aeroponic
Figure 4. Section of the various components of a vertical Farm in Dubai. Design by Eric Ellingsen and Dickson Despommier. Image by Eric Ellingsen, Homero Rios, and Mo Phala.
To address these problems and those 2. VF holds the promise of no crop failures Vertical Farm as urban agricultural armature:
perceived to soon emerge onto the horizon, due to droughts, floods, pests, or other With the Vertical Farm, there is no waste in waste.
an alternate way of food production was periodic natural phenomena.
A crucial component of the Vertical Farm mega-
proposed; namely growing large amounts of 3. All VF food will be grown organically structure is the anaerobic digester (A). Human
produce within the confines of high-rise employing chemically defined diets specific and animal waste serves as decentralized input
buildings. This idea appeared to offer a energy source as a feedstock on an urban scale.
to each plant and animal species: no
practical, new approach to preventing further The Vertical Farm complex also includes chicken,
herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. hen, and hog production (I), and aquaculture
encroachment into the already highly altered
4. VF eliminates agricultural runoff. (J) tanks for raising shell-fish to tilapia; all waste
natural landscape. The Vertical Farm Project in the form of animal manure will be phytore-
was established in 2001, and is an on-going 5. VF would allow farmland to be returned mediated through the plants root systems and
activity at the Mailman School of Public Health to the natural landscape, thus restoring re-routed into the anaerobic digester generat-
at Columbia University in New York City. It is in ecosystem functions (e.g. increased ing biogas such as methane and as re-used as
fertilizer. Water from plant evapotranspiration and
its virtual stages of development, having biodiversity) and services (e.g. air
from the aquaculture tanks will be recycled into
survived 4 years of critical thinking in the purification). the waste-water large water treatment facility
classroom and worldwide exposure on the (B) and finally, a potable urban reservoir (N). The
6. VF would greatly reduce the incidence of
Internet to become an accepted notion Vertical Farm will also grow fruit and vegetable
many infectious diseases that are acquired produce (K) year-round. The produce palette will
worthy of consideration at some practical
at the agricultural interface by avoiding use be chosen by the local diet desires and needs, as
level. We have identified an extensive list of
of human feces as fertilizer for edible crops. well as by offsetting the imported foods which
reasons why vertical farming may represent a travel the furthest to arrive in our cities (usually an
viable solution to global processes as diverse 7. VF converts black and gray water into average of 2000km+). This produce will be grown
as hunger, population growth, and restoration potable water by engineering the in controlled environments using hydroponic
of ecological functions and services collection of the water realized through and aeroponic systems (L). Active Research Labo-
evapo-transpiration. ratories (M) will be a crucial component to the
(e.g. returning land to natural process, carbon
Vertical Farm complex, as will be the residential
sequestration, etc.). If vertical farming (VF) were 8. VF adds energy back to the grid via living (F) units, restaurants (G), and commercial
to become widely adopted, then the following methane generation from composting (H) programs.
advantages would most likely be realized: non-edible parts of plants and animals. Above the ground on the exterior of parts of the
Vertical Farm, a public park system (D) is woven
9. VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no
into the skyscraper. Whereas most skyscrapers
1. Year-round crop production; 1 indoor tractors, plows, shipping.). are merely visual stimulants to the inhabitant of
acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or 10. VF eliminates much of the need for the city, in the Vertical Farm a new relationship
more, depending upon the crop (e.g. between nature and the public space interior
storage and preservation, thus reducing
to skyscrapers will be created. Furthermore, the
strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor dramatically the population of vermin (rats, base of the Vertical Farm offers a wide range of
acres).(Note: for further examples see mice, etc.) that feed on reserves of food. public amenities as cultural catalysts, such as
WIRED magazine, 16-11-08, “The Future of out-door street level vertical farmers markets and
11. VF converts abandoned urban
Food” p.188-205) public agoras (C), and a grand central station (E)
properties into food production centers. hub. The Vertical Farm will collect, intensify, filter,
layer, merge, and finally re-distribute the urban
energy.
“
Thus, on an urban scale, waste literally fuels currently available. Constructing the ideal
What if “eating local” urban services rather than becoming an urban vertical farm with a far greater yield per square
in Shanghai or New York liability. All the while, re-tuning the cities foot will require additional research in many
meant getting your fresh infrastructural systems provides the urgent areas – hydrobiology, material sciences,
de-stressing of local and global natural structural and mechanical engineering,
produce from five blocks industrial microbiology, plant and animal
resources like our forests, waterways and
away? And what if skyscrapers mineral reserves. genetics, architecture and design, public
grew off the grid, as verdant, health, waste management, physics, and urban
self-sustaining towers where planning, to name but a few.
Indoor farming (e.g. hydroponics and
city slickers cultivated their
”
aeroponics) has existed for some time.
own food? Strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, Yet, despite the obvious enthusiasm for the
herbs, and spices grown in this fashion have idea, there are cautions to consider. High-rise
Quote by Bina Venkataraman, reporter for made their way to the world’s markets in food-producing buildings will only succeed if
the New York Times, Sciense section. Dickson quantity over the last 5-10 years. Most of these they function by mimicking ecological process;
Despommier, professor of public health at operations are small when compared to namely, by safely and efficiently re-cycling
Columbia University, discusses the concept of
factory farms, but unlike their outdoor everything organic and re-cycling “used” water
the ‘Vertical Farm’ in the city. From ‘Country,
counterparts, they produce crops year-round. (e.g. human and animal waste), turning it back
the City Version: Farms in the Sky Gain New
Interest’. The New York Times, July 15th, 2008. Japan, Scandinavia, New Zealand, the United into drinking water. Most importantly, there
States, and Canada have thriving greenhouse must be strong, government-supported
industries. Freshwater fishes (e.g. tilapia, trout, economic incentives to the private sector, as
12. VF creates sustainable environments for stripped bass, carp), and a wide variety of well as to universities and local government to
urban centers. crustaceans and mollusks (e.g. shrimp, crayfish, fully develop the concept. Ideally, vertical farms
mussels) have also been commercialized in this must be cheap to construct, durable and safe
13. VF creates new employment to operate, and independent of economic
way. Fowl and pigs are well within the
opportunities. subsides and outside support (i.e. show a profit
capabilities of indoor farming, and if we were
14. VF could provide year round production to proceed to do so, offers some interesting at the end of the day). If these conditions can
of medically valuable plants (e.g. the advantages in addition to providing the world be realized through an ongoing,
anti-malarial plant-derived artemesinin). with a convenient food supply. For example, if comprehensive research program, urban
15. VF could be used for the large-scale chickens and ducks were to be raised entirely agriculture could provide an abundant and
production of sugar (sucrose) to be used in indoors, then the current epidemic of avian varied food supply for the 60% of the people
the revolutionary new method for the influenza might well have been aborted, or at that will be living within cities by the year 2030.
production of non-polluting gasoline. the very least, significantly reduced in scope.
None have been configured as multi-story
entities. In contrast, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, Waste management and urban sustainability
Thus, the Vertical Farm is an apparatus of and other large farm animals seem to fall well Today, we face the challenge of trying to
capture (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987) a filter outside the paradigm of urban agriculture. understand enough about the process of
which helps regulate the flows of urban What is proposed here differs radically from ecological balance to incorporate it into our
energy in the forms of water and waste what currently exists; namely, to scale up the daily lives (i.e. do no harm). Our willingness to
management, redirecting those problematic scope of operations, in which a wide variety of try to solve problems that we ourselves have
outputs as energy inputs and agents of produce is harvested in quantity enough to created is a measure of our selflessness and
change for the production of our daily caloric sustain even the largest of cities without altruistic behavior as a species. Thus, the
needs. Vertical Farms also act as cultural significantly relying on resources beyond the second most important reason to consider
catalysts, allowing unique pockets and urban footprint. Our group has determined converting to vertical farming relates to how
authentic food fields particular to the diverse that a single vertical farm with an architectural we handle waste (Malkow, 2004; Eckenfelder,
ethnic diets and populations of place to match footprint of one square New York City block 1999). Current waste management practices
and coordinated with the place where food is and rising just 30 stories (approximately 3 throughout the world, regardless of location,
grown to the lives where people that are million square feet) could provide enough are largely detrimental to public health and
In addition to losses due to bad weather 2. No-cost restoration of ecosystems: the tolerant plants) grew back to the same density
events, an unavoidable portion of what is principle of benign neglect as before the experiment was begun. These
grown spoils in the fields prior to harvest time. Converting most food production to vertical data give credence to the hypothesis that if
Another large portion of harvest, regardless of farming holds the promise of restoring vertical farming could replace most horizontal
the kind of plant or grain, is laid waste by a ecosystem services and functions. There is farming, then ecosystem services that
variety of opportunistic life forms (i.e. fungi, good reason to believe that an almost full reinforce a healthy life style (e.g. clean water,
bacteria, insects, rodents) after storage. In recovery of many of the world’s endangered clean air, carbon sequestration) would be
Africa, locusts remain an ever-present threat terrestrial ecosystems will occur simply by restored.
(Abate, 2000), devastating vast areas of abandoning farmland and allowing the
farmland in just days. Finally, armed conflict countryside to “cure” itself (Gunderson, 2000).
halts all normal human activity in any given 3. Urban sustainability
This belief stems, in part, from numerous
war zone. Faming usually suffers greatly during anecdotal observations as to the current Natural systems function in a sustainable
those stressful times, with crops being burned biological state of some regions that were fashion by recycling all essential elements for
or otherwise made unavailable by those once severely damaged either by now-extinct the next generation of life (Eugene, 2005). One
wishing to severely limit the opposition’s civilizations or by over-farming, and, in part, of the toughest challenges facing urban
access to a reliable food supply. from data derived from the National Science planners is trying to incorporate the concept
Foundation-sponsored long-term ecological of sustainability into waste (both solid and
research program (LTER), begun in 1980, on a liquid) management. Even in the best of
Vertical farming obviates all external natural situations, most solid waste collections are
processes as confounding elements in the wide variety of fragmented ecosystems
purposely set aside for study subsequent to an compacted and relegated to landfills. In a few
production of food. Growing food within rare instances they are incinerated to generate
urban centers will lower or even eliminate the extended period of encroachment. One of the
most intensively studied of these fragmented energy (Ragossnig, 2005). Liquid wastes are
consumption of fossil fuels needed to deliver processed, then treated with a bactericidal
them to the consumer, and will eliminate ecozones is Hubbard Brook in northern New
Hampshire (Likens, 2001; Likens, 1970). The agent (e.g. chlorine) and released into the
forever the need for burning fossil fuels during nearest body of water. More often than not in
the act of farming. So where does the energy area is a mixed boreal forest watershed that
has been extensively harvested at least three less developed countries, it is discarded
come from that is needed to run the vertical without treatment, greatly increasing the
farm? Ideally, they will take full advantage of times in modern times (1700s-1967). The
Hubbard Brook LTER lists its research objectives health risks associated with infectious disease
technologies centered around methane transmission due to fecal contamination
digestion of the inedible portions of what is as: vegetation structure and production;
dynamics of detritus in terrestrial and aquatic (Khosla, 2005). From a technological
grown (i.e. biogas production). Solar, wind, and perspective, all solid waste can now be
tidal power could also contribute to reducing ecosystems; atmosphere-terrestrial-aquatic
ecosystem linkages; heterotroph population efficiently re-cycled (returnable cans, bottles,
their dependence on fossil fuels. Iceland and cardboard packages, etc.) and/or used in
other geologically active regions (e.g. Italy, dynamics; effects of human activities on
ecosystems. A portion of the watershed was energy generating schemes with standard
New Zealand) will have the distinct advantage methods that are currently in use (Malkow,
of harnessing geothermal energy, which they clear-cut and the trees left in place, in contrast
to farming regimes in which trees are removed 2004). Incorporating modern waste
have at their disposal in abundance. management strategies into the vertical farm
to make way for crop production. Re-growth
of some plants (shade intolerants) occurred model should work the first time out without
within 3 years. By 20 years, the trees (shade the need for new technologies to come to the
commercial and restaurant vertical farmers market and Vertical Farm model
public park
rescue. It must be emphasized that urban showed how life behaves with regards to the disposal today. Nourishing Vertical Farms right
sustainability will only be realized through the sharing of limited energy resources. Tight knit within the intolerably impoverished regions of
valuing of waste as a commodity, deemed so assemblages of plants and animals evolved the world’s largest urban settings, such as
indispensable that to discard something into trophic relationships that allowed for the Ethiopia, India, Central African Republic, the
–anything - would be analogous to siphoning seamless flow of energy transfer from one level Gaza Strip, etc. is not only realistic, it’s practical.
off a gallons’ worth of gasoline from the family to the next, regardless of the type of Taking these ideas from outer space and
car and setting it on fire. ecosystem in question (Ricklefs, 2000). In fact, deploying these strategies in the space of our
this is the defining characteristic of all cities is not only rationally feasible, it may be
ecosystems. In contrast, humans, although one of the best vehicles we have to take on
Since agricultural runoff despoils vast amounts participants in all terrestrial ecosystems, have agricultural challenges of the near and distant
of surface and groundwater (Stalnacke, 2001; failed to incorporate this same behavior into future.
Fawell, 2003; Foster, 2003), any water that their own lives. If vertical farming succeeds, it
emerges from the vertical farm should be will establish the validity of sustainability,
drinkable, re-cycling it back into the irrespective of location or life form. Vertical CONCLUSION:
community that brought it to the farm to farms could become important learning Our lives, actions and activities don’t happen in
begin with. Harvesting water generated from centers for future generations of city-dwellers, the city—they ARE the city. The city is not the
evapo-transpiration appears to have some demonstrating our intimate connectedness to skyscrapers and tall buildings; it is the living
virtue in this regard, since the entire farm will the rest of the world by mimicking the nutrient and dynamic material and economic networks
be enclosed. A cold brine piping system could cycles that once again can take place in the that makes these technological sequoias
be engineered to aid in the condensation and natural world. These traits re-emerged as the possible. Our cities are desperate for
harvesting of moisture released by plants. The result of returning land back to the natural something that is simultaneously global,
only perceived missing link is the ability to landscape. international, modern, and, local, unique,
easily handle untreated human and animal particular to the identity, identification, and
wastes in a safe and efficient fashion. Several individuals that are the place. The Greek urban
varieties of new technology may be required. Finally, hydroponic and aeroponic technology planner, Doxiadis, in the 60s called this a Glocal
Perhaps lessons learned from the nuclear has increased yield potential by more than 23 economy: global + local. What the Vertical
power industry in handling plutonium and times while decreasing water usage by well Farm offers, among other benefits like
enriched uranium may prove helpful in over 30 times; LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes, re-growth of forests and carbon sequestration,
designing new machinery for this purpose. the kinds used in many traffic lights) and is a local food economy, a shortened route
sulfer-mircrowave lamps are being employed from producer to consumer, a self-dependant
as alternative light sources in agricultural autonomy rather than a 1500 mile on average
4. Social benefits of vertical farming environments which grow and harvest within delivery from field to plate, and, a deeper, more
The social benefits of urban agriculture offer a ‘biomass production systems’ and ‘plant meaningful, living typology rather than merely
rewarding set of achievable goals. The first is research units’ by the Bioregenerative Life a thin iconic, visual typology. Chicago, for
the establishment of sustainability as an ethic Support Project at Dynamac, Inc., at the example, claims that being a sustainable city is
for human behavior. This ecological concept is Kennedy Space Center. These are constantly one of its highest priorities, in fact it speaks in
currently only a property of the natural world. regulated, environmentally maintained, and all superlatives—the MOST. But a green roof
Ecological observations and studies, beginning hermetically controlled completely sustainable on the city hall doesn’t cut the longest yard. A
with those of J. Teal in Georgia (Teal, 1962) agricultural solutions which we have at our Vertical Farm offers a real Millennium iconic
“
cultural import star-architect trick. Rather, the
Vertical Farm offers a brand new architectural
very provocative - but it requires a rigorous economic
typology as a local and global solution to a analysis… Would a tomato in lower Manhattan be able to outbid an
21st century crisis. investment banker for space in a high-rise? My bet is that the
in the many fields related to tall building and CTBUH Working Group Update: Seismic
Robert Lau
In the Spring 2004 issue of the CTBUH journal I wrote an article ‘Multiple Phase Construction
Author
Robert Lau
for a Multi-Use Tall Building’. This article noted the financial risk that multi-use buildings can be
exposed to because they can be constructed without becoming fully occupied upon
Roosevelt University
430 S. Michigan Avenue completion. Another issue has been the long time-frame required for constructing large multi-
Chicago, IL 60605-1394, USA use high-rise buildings. What if parts of a building could be occupied before the entire building
e: laurobe@iit.edu
is completed? What if a large high-rise project could be constructed in phases, so that only the
spaces that the current market can support will be constructed?
Robert M. Lau received his Bachelor of Architecture
degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology
(host institution for the CTBUH) and his Master of
Business Administration at the Chicago School of While any construction project involves risks, spaces can open as independent entities
Real Estate at Roosevelt University. to construct above an occupied space has before the office and/or residential
He has worked with Myron Goldsmith and Lucien inherently more risks. Planning can remedy components are completed above. In some
Lagrange at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (Chicago
office) and with Helmut Jahn and Jim Goettsch at some of these risks. Each stakeholder has cases, this time lag could be months to over a
Murphy/Jahn in Chicago. He is an advocate of the differing attitudes regarding the execution of year. Some examples include:
Chicago School of Architecture, beginning with
William LeBaron Jenny, John Root, and Louis the construction. City building departments 1. One Rincon Hill in San Francisco by
Sullivan and continuing through Fazlur Khan and are skeptical about issuing a permit for only Solomon Cordwell Buenz (Post 2008)
Myron Goldsmith.
occupying part of the building instead of the
He has written several articles for the CTBUH
entire structure. How the remainder is a. Floors 8-27 occupied in Jan. 2008
Journal. He presented the paper ‘A Platonistic
Program for Block 37 in Chicago’s Loop’ at the constructed, while tenants occupy the spaces b. Floors 28-35 occupied in Feb. 2008
December 2001 CTBUH conference Building for the
21st Century in London and the paper ‘Financial below, is a concern to all involved. This paper
c. Residences to floor 60 occupied in
Aspects That Drive Design Decisions’ at the October will discuss Partial Occupancy issues from the
2005 conference in New York City. He was also a Aug. 2008
member of the NY conference’s committee that views of designers, contractors, building
reviewed the papers to be presented. owners, the city government that the project is 2. Trump Tower Chicago by Skidmore,
In addition to practicing architecture in Chicago, he constructed in, and the current tenants while Owings, and Merrill (Bergen 2008)
is a Construction Committee member with the
the construction is taking place. While there a. Hotel floors 14–27 occupied in Jan.
Windy City Habitat for Humanity (local affiliate).
are several examples of partial high-rise 2008
occupancy, identifying and addressing these
b. Residence floor 92 topped out in
special concerns will be important for issuing
August 2008
future permits.
c. Completion to be in 2009
INTRODUCTION
Phased Construction (Vertical Expansion)
Partial Occupancy
In master planned projects, components are
In most construction projects, an Occupancy
planned but not designed or intended for
Permit is secured after the construction has
construction for years or even decades to
been completed. The city issuing this permit
come. Master plan projects may (for example)
defines the project as safe and complete for
build an office tower first, then a retail mall,
human habitation in which it was intended. A
and then a residential tower lastly, when the
Partial Occupancy permit allows only a portion
neighborhood has established this market
of the completed project to be open for
over the past several years. This can be
occupancy. The remainder of the construction
especially true in former industrial areas that
can continue until its completion. This type of
are being converted to other zoning uses by
arrangement will benefit multi-use towers
the city. It is now possible to construct these
since the lower-floor commercial and retail
independent components as one complete
36 | Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
Figure 1. Hotel entry at Trump Tower on upper Wabash Figure 2. North elevation of Trump Tower over Figure 3. Blue Cross Blue Shield at start of vertical expansion
hotel entry
tower. Building the first, then the second or An advantage of Partial Occupancy projects is The financial advantage is occupying as each
third can be described as Vertical Expansion. their ability for some tenants to open for use is completed instead of at tower
While the concepts are the same as other business as soon as possible, without waiting completion. In the case of multi-use Tall
master planned projects, the construction for the completion of the tower. An advantage Buildings, the time-frame for construction can
takes place within one structure as opposed to of Phased Construction Vertical Expansion, as be years. Developers that can complete a
many structures within the same site. Some in other master planned projects, is their ability space for occupancy by retail or offices, on the
examples include: to minimize the risks of constructing large- lower floors, have a financial advantage over
1. Bentall 5 in Vancouver by the Musson scale space at one time period and not those who must wait until total tower
Cattell Mackey Partnership (bentall5) flooding the market at what could be a completion. Securing financing may be easier
vulnerable time. By being able to adjust to the in these scenarios.
a. Phase I office floors to 22 occupied in current market, Vertical Expansions can
Sept. 2002 minimize the financial risks inherent in
b. Phase II office floors 23-34 occupied in large-scale construction projects. Both Partial While current requirements are sometimes
April 2007 Occupancy and Phased Construction projects difficult to assess, planning for future
can benefit the financial bottom-line for requirements can be even more difficult. It is
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago by critical that the developer is aware of the risks
investors by their advantages.
Goettsch Partners (Corning 2008) involved for predicting the future. As
a. Phase I office floors to 32 occupied in construction material costs have risen in the
1997, daytime worker population of 4,400 MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PROJECT United States in 2008, convincing an owner to
Designers and Developers invest in materials, knowing that they will not
b. Phase II office floors 33-57 to be
While planning is required for the design of be used for years to come, could be a ‘tough
completed in 2009, anticipated daytime
any project, advanced planning is required in sell’. Setting aside certain assets today, to be
worker population of 8,000 total for both
projects that include either Partial Occupancy used in a future addition in the coming years,
phases
or Vertical Expansion. In a designer’s mind, the could be difficult to persuade to a stockholder
project is considered a combination of looking at the balance sheets.
Incentives for Partial Occupancy or Phased separate buildings. Each can be designed and
Construction Projects constructed on its own, as part of a complete A total planning package needs to be
Large-scale multi-use Tall Buildings are whole. This approach will include inherent developed at the outset of the project by the
complicated structures involving an army of redundancies. By planning for elevators and designers and the developer. Andrew Weiss of
stakeholders. They require vast resources, utility shafts for the entire project, each the Trump Organization says,” We planned the
multi-year planning and multi-year occupied phase will sustain itself within the entire project so that the different uses within
construction scheduling. Besides the large context of the whole. Planning this the Trump Tower Chicago could open at
quantities of materials required for infrastructure for the tower creates the different times.” Tom Corning of Walsh
construction, financing a project of this possibility of constructing each use Construction has been working on the Vertical
magnitude is a major accomplishment. Many individually and over time, if required. Expansion of the Blue Cross Blue Shield in
risks are inherent in any construction project.
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings | 37
Chicago. He says,” The entire project had to be Elements for the designers and developers to 9. Peer reviews at various stages of the
developed at the outset in 1997 in order for plan for are: design process.
the Vertical Expansion of today to be effective. 1. Multiple entries for each function from
Otherwise, the assets invested would be garage and grade. While some of these
unused and a waste of resources.” Fortunately, While planning can help prepare for
entries may not be constructed in the first encountering future problems during
this project was well planned by the designer phase, their location is pivotal at the outset.
Jim Goettsch so that, for today’s expansion, it construction, a certain amount of flexibility is
These could be on different levels as well as required. Market demand is flexible along with
can proceed as anticipated. This may not different street accesses. Preplanning is
always be the case, especially when designers, changes in personnel of designers and
important. The entire project must be developers. Record keeping during the
building owners, and contractors can evolve or considered, even if only part of the building
change over the years. The designer of the design’s progress is important. It may be
will be constructed in the first phase. impossible to have seamless construction that
Trump Tower Chicago is Adrian Smith, who is
now a consultant to SOM. The designer of Blue 2. Elevators and utility shafts may change takes place over several phases. Integrating
Cross Blue Shield is Jim Goettsch, who is no functions as the construction proceeds flexibility and adapting to changing conditions
longer a partner with Dirk Lohan from the from one phase to the next. Concerning can help the project as a whole.
Phase I construction of 1997. Economic the Trump Tower Chicago, Lucas
forecasts are constantly changing. Today’s Tryggestad of SOM says, “The Fireman’s
elevator must reach every floor of the Contractors
demands can be vastly different in the next
building, thus precluding it from operation Construction that takes place in several phases
decade. No matter how well an owner defines
prior to completions of the floors. Therefore, is challenging. While it is easier to construct at
their market or niche, predicting future
another elevator must be sized to one time and adjust to different parts of the
expansion needs is difficult. Peer reviews of
accommodate the sizing and functionality building being occupied at various times,
each construction phase as well as the entire
of a Fireman’s elevator during construction.” there are still challenges. The greatest
project can assist the designers throughout
challenge for a contractor is to resume phase
the design process. These reviews can be 3. Phased design. Consider it as a building- two or three of construction several years after
performed for the design issues but can also on-top-of-a- building. Each use is a separate the previous construction. Not only may the
include constructability concerns and market building that fits into one complete project. use’s market have changed but also the
trends for the future. The developer should use Tryggestad goes on to say,” In the Trump designers, developer, and construction
the expertise of these peer reviews to produce Tower each phase of occupancy must material suppliers may have changed. In the
a clear vision for financing this project and represent a total completed building in case of Blue Cross Blue Shield, the original
promoting it to other investors. which all building systems and curtain wall supplier for Phase I was Antemex
components must be operational.” International of Toronto. The supplier for Phase
4. As much a possible, consider future II is Permasteelisa Group SPA of Italy (Barner
technology trends for the future 2008). To make the completed tower’s facade
construction phases. look like one project could be the biggest
5. Utility shafts from subgrade connection challenge.
up to the occupied levels for each use.
6. Construction deliveries separated from Construction activities must remain separate
tenant deliveries. Future elevator or duct from the tenants. Besides the use of separate
shafts may be used for concrete pumping entries and elevators, the noise, vibration and
or fireproofing delivery in a construction dust of construction activities must also not
stage. Provide ample loading docks as affect tenants. Corning says,” Noises, especially
construction staging areas. loud ones, are a concern because of the
7. During construction, access for disruption of the employees’ work day but also
construction workers is separate from they can cause concerns from their
tenant entries. uncertainty of the cause.” Daytime workers do
not wish to adjust their established patterns
8. Distinct HVAC, electrical, plumbing and because of construction that does not affect
communication systems for each use. As them. Contractors must be aware of their
construction continues or as phase two imposition to those that they share the site
construction commences, the tenants are (but not the zone) with. Additional meetings
not affected by the construction activities. with the tenants and the building owner may
Figure 4. Blue Cross Blue Shield at current construction
38 | Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
be required in order to address their issues
during construction. Additionally Corning says,”
These issues are planned and discussed in a
separate weekly building facilities and security
meeting.” Concerns for the contractor include
the following:
1. Staging construction. Instead of one
construction zone, the project may have
several work platforms at different
elevations. Materials may have to be
handled several times before they reach
their final installed position.
2. Delivery of materials. Construction
deliveries at grade may conflict with tenant
Figure 5. Blue Cross Blue Shield entry canopy on upper Randolph Figure 6. North elevation crane access for Blue
deliveries. Both Trump Tower and Blue
Cross Blue Shield from lower Randolph
Cross Blue Shield have upper and lower
street levels (Wabash and Randolph, in operation. Redundancies will be built Building Departments
respectively) to deliver construction into each use. A failure of one will not affect While designers and contractors are becoming
materials at lower level and allow normal the others. familiar with multiple phase and occupancy
tenant activities at upper level. 6. Construction worker safety and tenant construction, the city officials that oversee
safety. While these may seem as distinctly these projects may not. The officials’ job
3. Crane and construction elevator
different, they are both a concern while on becomes more difficult in these types of
locations are critical. Preplanning may help
the same site. Tenants must feel safe while scenarios. The peer reviews that are preformed
in establishing these locations, but plans
construction takes place overhead. by the designers can greatly assist the
can change as construction phases
Construction workers must work in safe permitting officials. If a city’s building
proceed. Temporary cranes and elevators
conditions without endangering others. department is not familiar with partial
for a specific use may also be required at
Additional canopies and netting below the occupancy while construction continues,
various phases during construction.
construction work platforms can help these peer reviews may provide additional
Corning notes that, “For Blue Cross Blue
ensure this. information to help them understand the
Shield a small crane was dismantled and
complex intricacies. Dan Murphy, a member of
lifted up by an elevator, to be assembled on 7. Past construction errors can continue on the Chicago Committee on High-Rise
the roof. This small crane assembled a into future phases. No construction work is Buildings, says,” The presentation process of the
medium sized crane, which in turn perfect. Adjustments made in the past to project for a building permit is crucial. The peer
assembled the large lifting cranes on the tolerance errors should be documented so review can help tremendously for the
roof. Temporary beams were installed to as not to perpetuate the errors into the confidence of the building officials issuing the
support these large cranes for construction next construction phase. permit”.
operations.” Not only does this increase the
8. Building construction always contains
construction budget, it also requires
risk. To continue construction above while
additional foresight and resources. Building officials are responsible for ensuring
tenants occupy the spaces below has more
4. As a matter of safety, sizes and weights of risk. To begin an additional phase where the safety of the general public while a
the materials being transported by the another has left off can be fraught with building is under construction. When
cranes and elevators must be limited. On risks. Insurance can protect against some of construction conditions change, as in the case
windy or snowy/icy days, lifting and these risks. Addressing the project as a of phased construction, these officials must
installing of certain materials may be construction manager instead of a lump approve these changes. Not only does this
delayed. As a safety precaution, the delivery sum construction bid is one way for a include additional inspections, it may also
location of materials may vary compared to contractor to minimize risk. The developer/ include reconfiguring exit requirements and
where it will actually be lifted into place by owner and construction manager should occupancy loads. Besides the additional work
the cranes. negotiate this type of arrangement prior to that is required for phased construction,
commencing a contract for the work. These building officials must also approve the overall
5. Utility connections by the contractor
types of alternatives are becoming more concepts and the project’s ‘philosophy’.
cannot interrupt tenants utilities. Each use
popular as these multi-use construction Building officials concerns include the
is separated so that one, under
projects are becoming more complex. following:
construction, does not affect another that is
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings | 39
like limiting crane operations on windy or building’s owner, or a short-term developer
icy days, may be unpopular but are who is concerned about the immediate future.
probably necessary. In any of these cases, the tenants are a prime
2. Inspections as the phased work concern of the owner. As a liaison between the
continues. Temporary construction could contractor and the tenants, the owner’s role is
be used while the permanent construction to satisfy the lease responsibilities to the
is installed. Inspectors need a clear tenants. Safety meetings, communications, and
understanding of the progress of the work addressing complaints logged by the tenants
as they make their inspections. These can are important duties. If acting in the
differ from the traditional process that developer’s role with the designers, the owner
building officials are used to. should have a clear understanding of the
complexities that phased construction
3. Ensure that insurance is in place to cover produces. The owner should have a willingness
risks. The complications inherent in phased to assume the risks of building more than is
construction may produce risks that the required for today, to address tomorrow’s
contractor should be aware of. A clear needs. The owner’s responsibilities include the
understanding of where the contractor’s following:
responsibility ends and where the building
owner’s responsibility begins is important. 1. Complete understanding of the phased
project. Understanding the need for partial
4. Work platforms and safe transport of occupancy or phasing over time as
Figure 8. Trump Tower south elevation crane and construction materials. Ensuring a safe opposed to occupying or constructing at
construction elevator access construction zone is paramount. The one time. There should be a complete
day-to-day activities of tenants during ‘game plan’ developed by the owner to
construction is also important. Inspections clearly indicate the need and the
should ensure that these activities are free advantages.
and independent from each other.
2. Liability for risks. Insurance in place to
5. Ensure required exits continue to be cover these risks of partial occupancy or
available to tenants. In the course of phased construction. Competent and
construction phasing these exits may shift experienced designers and contractors to
or transfer. When tenants become familiar execute the design and the construction.
with a path of exit, changing that path may
produce problems. Safety meetings to 3. Safety of the tenants is paramount for the
identify these issues are important for the owner. The safety of the contractor’s
contractor to communicate with the workers is the contractor’s responsibility.
tenants, building owner and the building The safety of the tenants is the responsibility
officials. Ensuring these required exits at all of the owner and the city officials.
times is important. 4. In cooperation with the contractor,
6. During construction, tenants have a right ensuring separation of the tenants from the
to uninterrupted utilities. As separately construction activities. This includes entries,
designed buildings under one roof, the material deliveries, parking, noise, vibrations,
phase in construction should not affect the dust, and views.
zone occupied by tenants. The work plan 5. As mentioned previously, ensure that the
Figure 7. South crane and construction elevator of Trump should identify the utility connections tenant utilities are uninterrupted during
Tower with lower Wabash access under construction without involving the continuing construction activities.
completed, occupied spaces. 6. Financing for the project can be
1. Safety of the tenants as the construction
work proceeds. Whether this includes improved. Weiss of the Trump Organization
additional netting or barricades around the Building Owners says,” The length of time until initial
work platforms, the safety of the occupants A building owner may be involved with the occupancy and start of payments on the
is paramount. Any construction accident continuing construction or may own only the loan are reduced, thus reducing the length
can affect the overall project, especially if a occupied zone. The owner could be the tenant, of the loan and reducing some of the time
tenant is hurt. Enforcing safe procedures, a future tenant, the continuing long-term related risks of the loan.”
40 | Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
Tenants
Tenants always have concerns during
construction projects. If the construction is not
part of their organization, they want their
normal activities to continue uninterrupted.
Altered entries may not be desirable. If tenants
are required to adjust their fire exits after they
have become accustomed to existing patterns,
clear communication from the building owner
is required as to this change. Whether a worker
or a resident, tenants have concerns that need
to be addressed, which include:
1. A safe environment during entering and
exiting, whether from grade entry or the
parking garage. Temporary construction
netting and barricades can remedy these
concerns.
2. Associated with these safety issues are
construction dust, noise, and vibrations.
Mechanical floors tend to separate the
Figure 9. East and south elevations of Trump Tower during Figure 10. Completed One Rincon Hill, © Michael Dickter ,
occupied zones from each other and can construction Magnusson Klemencic Associates
aid in this. Tenants have a right to co-exist
with the construction activities but not be concerns to be addressed. As Corning says, Many thanks to the following individuals for
adversely affected by it. This may be “Residents were upset when we started their contributions to this article:
impossible for the contractor to comply Phase II construction of Blue Cross Blue Lucas Tryggestad of SOM
with in all cases. The contractor should do Shield after they had moved into their new
Andrew Weiss of the Trump Organization
his best to minimize these tenant concerns. condominiums at 340 on the Park.”
Tom Corning of Walsh Construction
3. No utility interruptions because of
Dan Murphy of Environmental Systems Design,
construction activities. Redundancies built CONCLUSION International
into the project should alleviate this
concern. Partial Occupancy permits are not a new idea
but they are gaining popularity for phased And very special thanks to:
4. Normal deliveries that do not conflict with construction and multi-use towers. As with any
construction deliveries. Sufficient loading construction project, risks exist. The financial Cameron Hufford of Magnusson Klemencic
docks planned ahead of time to service all advantages of immediate occupancy for some Associates who helped to make this article
parties. If possible, lower and upper street uses can make these risks justifiable. An ability possible.
level access to alleviate potential conflicts. to adjust to a volatile real estate market is also
5. Few obstructed views from tower cranes an advantage. As more projects utilize partial References
and construction elevators. The contractor, occupancy in some form, the concepts are BENTALL5 www.bentall5.com, Online website
working with the owner, should find gaining acceptance. It is important for all POST, N. M. (2008) Seismic Design’s Stature, Engineering
amicable locations for this required stakeholders involved to accept the concepts News Record issue of January 21, 2008, pp 22-26.
equipment. The material deliveries and of partial occupancy. Pre-planning by the BERGEN, K. (2008) 1st look at Trump Tower hotel reveals
5-star views, ambitions, Chicago Tribune Business section of
lifting sequences from the working designers and developer can alleviate many
January 31, 2008, pp 1 & 4
platforms to final installation should be very construction problems before they materialize.
CORNING, T. (2008). Email correspondence from Tom
well thought out so as not to adversely Addressing concerns in a proactive manner can Corning of Walsh Construction on August 12, 2008.
affect the tenants. lead to the success of the completed project. BARNER, C. (2008). Midwest Construction issue of May 2008,
Flexibility of the planning to emerging pp 12-14.
6. Neighbors can also influence the project.
technology and material resources can also
Construction projects always affect the
benefit the project. As long as everyone is ‘on
neighbors. Height limits, obstructing
the same page’, including city building officials,
established views, and unwanted
partial occupancy projects will flourish for the
construction traffic are all neighborhood
advantages they provide.
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III Partial Occupancies for Tall Buildings | 41
Tall Buildings In Numbers
An Overview of Historical Factors Affecting Tall Building Energy Consumption
Overview: The Five ‘Energy Generations’
1. From the Birth of Tall Buildings in 1885, to the 1916 New York City Zoning Law
2. From the 1916 Zoning Law to the Development of the Glazed Curtain Wall, 1951
3. From the Development of the Glazed Curtain Wall, 1951, to the 1973 Energy Crisis
4. From the Energy Crisis of 1973, ongoing to the present day
5. From the Rise of an Environmental Consciousness, 1997 ongoing to the present day
1916: Impact of the New York City Zoning Law – increased building surface area / greater heat loss
through envelope
0.20
Energy Generation 2
Building surface area to volume ratio (m2/m3)
Energy Generation 2
0.19
0.189
0.18 Energy Generation 1
0.17 Ave = 0.152 m2/m3
0.16
0.158
0.15 Energy Generation 1
0.14 0.144
Ave = 0.107 m2/m3 0.138
0.13
0.130
0.12 0.112
0.118 0.118
0.11
0.10
0.09
0.087 0.088
0.08
0.07
0.06
0.05
90 West St
195 Broadway
Equitable Bldg
Bryant Park
Mercantile Bldg
1914
1914
1915
1924
1930
Chrysler Bldg
1930
500 5th Ave.
1931
1931
Municipal Bldg
Pre-Zoning Law Buildings: Compact shape, large volume vs. Post-Zoning Law Buildings: Slender shape, small volume vs.
smaller façade area = Reduced heat loss / gain through concen- larger facade area = Greater heat loss / gain through building
trated building mass envelope but greater natural light penetration
1950 1970: Impact of increased use of mechanical conditioning and florescent lighting – increased
overall energy consumption
Average building energy use (000s BTU / Sqft / Annum)
300
Electricity
266.4
250 Steam 188
214.5
200 154.1
164.4
108.1 A Study of 86 office buildings constructed in Manhattan shows that on
150
128.9 average, buildings completed in the late 1960s had energy require-
78.4 ments more than double those of buildings constructed in the early
100 1950s
78.4
50
50.5 56.3 60.4 Data from:
STEIN, R. G. (1977). Observations on Energy Use in Buildings. Journal of
0 Architectural Education, Vol. 30, No. 3, February 1977. pp.36 – 41.
1950 - 1954 1955 - 1959 1960 - 1964 1965 - 1969
20 1 20 1
10 0.5 10 0.5
0 0 0 0
Empire State
Apartments
Apartments
New York, 1930
Building
Chicago, 1951
Lever House
Chicago, 1951
Lever House
Post Tower
Bank of America
Tower
Lake Shore Drive
Bonn, 2002
Prior to the development of the glazed curtain wall: High levels of Early glazed curtain wall tall buildings: Poor performance single-glazed
thermal mass, low percentage of façade transparency. curtain wall with tinted glass, high percentage of façade transparency.
Early glazed curtain wall tall buildings: Poor performance single-glazed Modern curtain wall tall buildings: High performance double-skin and
curtain wall with tinted glass, high percentage of façade transparency. triple glazed curtain wall with clear glass, high percentage of façade
transparency.
0
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Elena Shuvalova, CEO of the Moscow-based was chaired by CTBUH Country Representative
Lobby Agency and active CTBUH member, for Russia Tom McCool of Turner Construc-
brought a party of Russian dignitaries and pro- tion International, with keynote presenta-
fessionals to visit CTBUH headquarters at the tions given by Yury Tabunshchikov , (see
Illinois Institute of Technology in October 2007. Figure 1), President of ABOK (the Russian As-
Following that visit, the same party attended sociation of Engineers for Heating, Ventilation,
the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai in Air-Conditioning, Heat Supply and Building
March 2008, and decided at that event that Thermal Physics) and Antony Wood (Executive
it would be very beneficial to hold a smaller- Director of CTBUH). Mr. Tabunshchikov gave a
scale but similar event in Moscow, to bring in presentation on the Boundaries of Engineering
some of the world’s experts in the field of tall Opportunities in Russian Tall Buildings, whilst Figure 1. Marianna M. Brodatch (Vice President of AVOK,
buildings to present to Russian colleagues, Mr. Wood delivered a presentation entitled ‘Tall Professor of Moscow Architectural Institute) & Yury
Tabunshchikov (President of AVOK)
many of whom are planning or constructing Buildings Futures? Sustainability and Design
the numerous tall buildings in Moscow and in the context of Tall’. The latter presentation
elsewhere. Thus, in Dubai in March 2008, the prompted numerous questions from the audi- The session after the morning break was
idea of the ‘Moscow Gaining Height’ confer- ence on issues of sustainability – a reoccurring chaired by CTBUH Executive Director Antony
ence was born. theme throughout the conference. Wood and began with an excellent pre-
sentation on the challenges of ‘Sustainable
Technologies in Modern Megalopolis’ by
The event itself took place in the prestigious Next up were Mr. Stanislav Nikolaev, Director
Elizabeth Belenchia, Vice-President of FIABCI
setting of the Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel Moscow, of TSNIIEP Zhilisha, who explained the work
(The International Real Estate Federation, see
from the 22nd – 24th October 2008, with of TSNIIEP to the audience, David Genc of De
Figure 2). Elizabeth’s presentation really set the
approximately 120 delegates in attendance Stefano & Partners in the US who gave a fasci-
scene for how major cities are expanding and
drawn from numerous disciplines (architects, nating insight on the Waldorf-Astoria project
what challenges urban humanity faces in the
engineers, planners, government officials etc). in Chicago, and Mrs. Galina Poplavskaya, Head
future. She was followed by Brad Malmsten of
With KONE as the main sponsor, the event of Construction at the Russian Association of
Thornton Tomasetti who presented some of
opened with a welcome address by Mr. Yuri Construction, who took us through some of
the Hybrid structural solutions his company
Granik of the design and research agency the problems faced with high-rise construc-
has introduced to several high rise projects in
TSNIIEP Zhilisha, who had partnered the or- tion in Russia.
ganization of the conference. The first session Red Square at night, Moscow
44 | Moscow Gaining Height Conference: Review CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
Moscow; Alexey Chaikin, Deputy Director of The first day continued late into the evening
the fascinating ‘New Ring of Moscow’ develop- with the conference Gala Dinner which was
ment which he explained to the audience; and held at the Esterkhazi restaurant on Maroseyka
Mikhail Markovsky, Principal of the ByeINIIS in Moscow. Overseas visitors were treated to
Research Institute in Belorussia, who portrayed traditional Russian food and hospitality in the
some of the developments in Belarus and intimate setting of the restaurant, with numer-
other parts of his country. ous toasts (and glasses of vodka!) from Russian,
Ukrainian and Belorussian colleagues!
“ The Trump Tower Chicago is the only building that got built, and the skeletons of the other ones
are strewn all over the place; Chicago Spire, Waterview Tower. The days of building buildings like this are
over. It will take 10 years to finance buildings like this. Unless I used my own money, it would be
impossible. The banks are out of business. The sad thing is, it’s a blight for cities.
”
Quote of Donald Trump at his topping out celebration for the Trump Tower Chicago on 9/24. Chicago Tribune Thursday 9/25 issue, Business section,
pp.1 & 4. Mary Ellen Podmolik is the reporter for the article.
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III Moscow Gaining Height Conference: Review | 45
Figure 5. Federation Towers, view looking up Figure 6. Presentation in the Federation Towers by Ara Figure 7. Presentation by Stanislav Nikolaev (Director of
Aramyan, Vice-President Mirax Group TSNIIEP) and Valery Ostretsov (Head of Architecture, TSNIIEP)
The final presentation-based session of the The remaining day and a half of the confer- The final day of the conference started with a
conference took place after coffee on Day ence was devoted to technical tours, aimed visit to the headquarters of TSNIIEP, who had
2, chaired by Peter Anderson, Director at at giving delegates first-hand experience of been instrumental in supporting the confer-
Knight Frank. The session had two themes; some of the seminal projects built and under ence. TSNIIEP are basically an architectural
the marketing of tall buildings and verti- construction in Moscow. The Thursday after- design and engineering research institute who
cal transport systems, and had interesting noon was devoted to the ‘Moscow City’ (see work closely with the government on develop-
presentations from Johannes De Jong, Director Figure 5) urban-scale project and the Fed- ing codes for high-rise buildings, and have
of Products & Technology at KONE who spoke eration Towers in particular. Delegates were worked with numerous developers to deliver
about ‘Advances in Elevator Technology’; Julia treated to a presentation in the Federation a number of high-rise projects throughout
Nikulitcheva of Jones Lang LaSalle who spoke Towers by Mr. Ara Aramyan, Vice-President the city. They were especially instrumental in
about ‘The Peculiarities of Planning Mixed-Use of the developer the Mirax Group (see Figure designing and developing the first high-rise
High Rise Complexes’; Richard Pulling, High 6), and were then guided to the top of the buildings in the city after the 40-year hiatus
Rise Operations Director at OTIS who spoke completed lower tower of the twin complex, following the first Stalinist skyscrapers, which
about elevatoring innovations within his com- getting good views of the taller tower under were completed in the 1950’s. Head of TSNIIEP
pany; and Miguel Angel Baeyens of Optimum construction (approximately 75% complete) Mr. Stanislav Nikolaev received the visiting
World Properties who spoke about the high- and views out over the city of Moscow. The party and, together with colleagues, discussed
rise development opportunities in Panama. grandeur of the completed tower’s lobby areas the work of his institute (see Figure 7).
and high-level restaurant were particularly
amazing.
46 | Moscow Gaining Height Conference: Review CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III
...height race
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III Moscow Gaining Height Conference: Review | 47
Australian CTBUH Seminars: Report
Antony Wood reports on his visit to Australia, presentations to the Australian Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat in Brisbane and Sydney, and various meetings with existing
CTBUH members and members-to-be.
Sydney Opera House and bridge
After the best part of a week in Australia, from from University at Buffalo, had presented the There were other sub-plots in the presentation;
the 9th – 15th November 2008, I am very recently-published CTBUH Recommendations how greenwash and the emphasis on design
pleased to report that the Australian Council for the Seismic Design of High Rise Buildings rather than as-built performance in worldwide
on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (ACTBUH) to audiences in Brisbane and Sydney in August sustainability rating systems is hampering the
is very much alive and kicking. Together with and I had agreed to visit in November to talk embrace of real environmental progress, and
the Dutch and Korean Councils, the ACTBUH is about tall buildings and sustainability. how tall buildings have an opportunity to lead
perhaps the most active of our regional ‘chap- the way for the benefit of the building industry
ters’, under the high-octane leadership of Brett My presentation, entitled “Urban Futures: as a whole; not only because denser cities with
Taylor of Bornhost & Ward and Bruce Wolfe of Green or Grey? The Aesthetics of Tall Building less energy-intensive suburban sprawl is a bet-
Conrad Gargett Architecture in Brisbane, and Sustainability” was very well received in both ter model for urban development but also be-
Jim Forbes of Hyder Consulting in Sydney. The Brisbane and Sydney, judging by the Question cause the financial and professional investment
Australian Council was established in Brisbane and Answer sessions and the positive feedback in each tall building offers the opportunity for
in 1988, and has been reinforced over the years from attendees after the presentation. This was experimentation with environmental technolo-
through various direct collaborations with good, because the message I was delivering gies, for example, which is more difficult to
central CTBUH (for example; our 6th World was potentially controversial; that the vast justify in smaller buildings.
Congress held in Melbourne in 2001). It is majority of built tall buildings around the world
today are nowhere I finished the presentation with an overview of
near the evolved state some of the hypothetical tall building design
they need to be in projects I have created in conjunction with my
to help face the twin students of architecture over the past five years
challenges of climate (see www.ctbuh.org/designresearch.htm).
change and optimal Much of this work tends towards the utopian
urban domains. In and I guess I was a little nervous that this com-
particular I feel that bination of tough words on the state of the tall
we are missing the building industry, and the somewhat utopian
opportunity for a vision as a possible answer, would serve to
new expression in tall negate the overall message in an audience
building design, more of predominantly practical, ‘at the coal face’
reflective of the age in architects and engineers. However the inverse
Brisbane Skyline from Story Bridge, showing Riparian Plaza, Harry Seidler
which we now reside; seemed to happen, and many from the audi-
an aesthetic that is ence made a point of mildly berating me for
now focused mainly on delivering bi-monthly less about the steel-and-glass modernism that my apologetic air concerning the utopian ideas
seminars on tall buildings and urban habitat has dominated tall building design for the past and pointed out that most were actually quite
in each of the major Australian cities (primarily 50 years and more about a sensible degree practical and, more importantly, achievable if
Brisbane and Sydney, with a plan to extend to of opacity in facades, plus organic matter and the right conditions could be created. And that
Melbourne soon). greenery embraced as a positive part of the thus became one of the main outcomes of my
This Australia trip had its origins six months overall material palette, as well as contribut- presentation – the thought that we perhaps
previously at our Dubai Congress in March, ing to a positive environmental strategy. I need to concentrate less on the design of the
when discussions with ACTBUH had led to a presented a seven-point plan for consideration building and more on the social, political and
request for assistance with arranging inter- in the design of future skyscrapers. economic conditions that have allowed the
national speakers for the Australia program. best tall buildings to flourish in places around
Co-chair of our working group on the Seismic the world, in the hope of recreating those con-
Design of Tall Buildings, Andrew Whittaker ditions, and hence the better buildings.
So both presentations, in Brisbane and Sydney, after reading Henry Gifford’s paper entitled In between all these meetings and presenta-
fostered some excellent thought and discus- “A Better Way to Rate Green Buildings” on the tions, I managed to capture about 500 tall
sion however this visit had objectives beyond plane on the way back to Chicago (furnished building photographs for the CTBUH Tall
just delivering a presentation. It was essentially to me by a colleague at Bovis Lend Lease Building Image Database (see www.ctbuh.
a fact-finding mission for the Council, to see – I would encourage you all to read this at org/imagedatabase.htm), and delight in the
how the situation in Australia is currently (both www.henrygifford.com), I am becoming more many new developments that have occurred
economically and environmentally), to see and more convinced that this is the path that since I was last in Australia 14 years ago – Harry
how we can better support the Australian LEED and BREAM and others need to start Seidler’s Riverside complex in Brisbane and
chapter of the Council and, of course, to bring following: an energy rating based on hard con- Renzo Piano’s Aurora Place in Sydney (see Fig-
organizations which are not yet involved with sumption data produced after a year or two of ure 1 + 2) to name but two. In particular I was
the Council into our network and initiatives. I operation, rather than noble intentions (often impressed with how many recent Australian
am very pleased to report that all three objec- untested in their effectiveness) at the design tall buildings seem to meet the ground posi-
tives were met. Economically (although there stage, often several years before occupation. tively (something many other cities struggle
are quite clearly the same tell-tale signs of with) – creating multi-layered, public urban
plunging stock markets and job losses as seen So during my five days in Brisbane and Sydney domain that is just a pleasure to be in – Aus-
recently in the US and Europe) Australia seems I had meetings with the Queensland Govern- tralia Square in Sydney or virtually the entire
to be, at worst, a few months behind the ment Department of Public Works, Laing O’ Brisbane River north shore from Story Bridge to
western world in feeling the brunt of the credit Rourke Construction, Leighton Property Ltd, the Botanic Gardens to name but two. Yes, as
crisis. At best, however, there are many who Cottee Parker Architects, Cundall Engineers, I sit aboard a Qantas flight on my way back to
believe that with much of the economy ben- JPW Architects and Meinhardt Engineers. I Chicago writing this, I think we could certainly
efitting from natural resource export to China also attended the November luncheon of the learn a thing or two from the Australians,
(coal, iron ore and copper ore), it is actually Australia Property Council at the Westin Hotel in more ways than one. My great thanks in
much better placed to weather the economic in Sydney – along with 700 other people – and particular to Brett Taylor and Jim Forbes for
storm than many other nations. heard the newly-in post New South Wales MP making such a worthwhile trip possible, and
/ Minister for Planning Kristina Keneally outline to Jim for the incredible couple of hours on his
I was also extremely impressed with some her vision for urban infrastructure in Sydney. boat in Sydney Harbour!
of the sustainability initiatives being imple- Of all the people who graciously met with me
mented there, in particular the post-occu- and gave of their time, I must make a special All photos © Antony Wood / CTBUH.
pancy, performance-based ratings system mention to colleagues at Bovis Lend Lease
for measuring energy and water consump- who received me in both Brisbane and Sydney,
tion, waste handling and building occupier giving me a tour of their fantastic ‘The Bond’ Note: Visit www.ctbuh.org/ . . .
satisfaction developed through the NABERS headquarters on the quayside in Sydney. to download Antony Wood’s Brisbane presen-
scheme (see www.nabers.com.au). Especially tation.
CTBUH Journal | 2008 Issue III CTBUH Working Group Update: Sustainability | 51
Diary More upcoming events at: www.ctbuh.org/events.htm
H&V News’ annual conference on 2nd Annual High-Rise Buildings 2009 Fazlur R. Khan Lecture Series
Building Services for Tall Buildings Conference Lehigh University, Bethlehem, USA
February 12 / 2009 February 12-13 / 2009
Barbican Centre, London, UK London, UK February 20 /2009
Tall buildings present a host of unique The advancement of engineering technology Leslie E. Robertson, Leslie E. Robertson
has led to a proliferation of tall buildings Associates, R.L.L.P., “The Architect and the
challenges, not least for the building services
worldwide. Tall buildings have become now Structural Engineer – Partners in Design”
industry, with the design and construction of
these modern day skyscrapers pushing the symbols of city life with important
boundaries and breaking new heights. sociocultural implications. March 20 / 2009
William F. Baker, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Around the globe more high-rise and super The 2nd annual edition of this pan-European “Engineering the World’s Tallest: Burj Dubai”
high-rise construction is happening like never case study driven comprehensive forum for all
before. the construction, architecture and property April 17 / 2009
development experts, boasts an exceptional Bruce R. Ellingwood, Civil & Environmental
H&V News’ annual ‘Building Services for Tall Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
array of speakers and organizations willing to
Buildings’ conference promotes the skills and “Abnormal Loads and Progressive Collapse
share their experience.
technology that you need to deliver integrated – Assessment and Mitigation of Risk”
solutions to increasingly challenging designs.
EWEEK Expo at IIT-Rice Campus: RETECH 2009 Renewable Energy SEI / ASCE Structures Congress 2009
Structural Engineers to explore Technology Conference CTBUH Performance - Based
engineering with students February 25-27 / 2009 Seismic Design of Tall Buildings
February 21 / 2009 Las Vegas, USA Session
Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus, Wheaton, The Renewable Energy Technology April 30 trough May 2 / 2009
Illinois Conference and Exhibition (RETECH 2009) is Austin, Texas, USA
DuPage Area Engineer’s Week Committee has ACORE’s premier trade gathering of the
This CTBUH organized session, part of the 2009
scheduled an Open House for Saturday, all-renewable energy industry in the United
SEI / ASCE Structures Congress, focuses on the
February 21, 2009 at Illinois Institute of States.
latest advances in the field of the seismic
Technology’s Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus CTBUH members are eligible for a special $100 design of tall buildings, presenting and
at 201 East Loop Road, Wheaton. This discount offer when registering for RETECH illustrating the design recommendations from
program includes activities that are free and 2009! To take advantage of the Council on Tall the CTBUH Seismic Design Working group,
open to the public. You are invited to explore Buildings and Urban Habitat discount, simply which are intended for application around the
engineering with members of the Chicagoland type 'Tall100' into the discount code box when globe across all levels of seismic hazard.
engineering community. This event promises registering online at RETECH2009.com
to be something very special as this year marks
the 25th anniversary of the program.
France
Alan Jalil, Design Manager, is heading the SOCOTEC has been involved for forty years on
section Tall Buildings in the Civil Works many prestigious projects in France (Business
Department of SOCOTEC INTERNATIONAL, Center La Defense and Paris), developing tools
based in Paris since 2005. He has been working for risk analysis specific to the design of tall
on projects in various countries including buildings within various fields (structural
some supertall buildings in the Gulf Region. design, wind analysis, differential settlement
analysis, curtain wall design, MEP design, fire
The most recent iconic projects he has been
safety).
involved in, which cover structural feasibility
studies, structural checking or value Within the last few months, various
engineering are: competitions have been launched regarding
new developments in the business center of
t7BSJPVTTVQFSUBMMCVJMEJOHTJO%VCBJ.BSJOB
La Defense, but at the same time a new law
(Torch Tower, Marina 23, Marina 101, Marina
has been enacted that abrogate a height limit
106, Ocean Height Tower).
for buildings inside Paris, which will lead to
t)BSE3PDL5PXFS TUPSFZTVQFSTMJN interesting debates. These developments
tower) in Dubai. consider sustainability and specific modern
t%JBHSJEDPNQMFYTUSVDUVSF TVDIBT%PIB technical improvements attempting to lead
Alan Jalil, SOCOTEC, CTBUH Country Representative France Office Building from the French architect the way to a better creative architectural
Jean Nouvel). design. Involved parties should consider the
t5XJTUFETIBQFTUSVDUVSFTVDIBT1MBUJOVN latest dissemination of information through
Tower in Doha (Qatar). the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban
Habitat.
Iran
Dr. Peyman is Principal Engineer of the global He is an Iranian Engineer who received his PhD
consulting engineering practice, Hyder in civil engineering, specializing in seismic
Consulting, and serves on the Hyder global design, from the University of Sharif
professional board. Hyder is headquartered in Technology and is a member of the Scientific
London UK, managing a staff of approximately Committee of University of AIU Knowledge
3,000 in 20 offices around the world, including village Dubai-UAE.
more than 900 staff members in the Persian
He was selected as Chairman of the Seismic
Gulf.
Committee of High-rise & Complex Building in
Peyman is an expert high-rise designer for International Congress on Seismic Retrofitting
super tall skyscrapers in the United States and in Iran (March 2006), and serves on several
in the Middle East. Currently he is with Hyder’s International Code Committees. He received
Dubai office, responsible for many of the the Article Award for his presentation on
high-rise projects undertaken by Hyder around concrete deep beams using perforated steel
the world. Peyman’s design team currently has plates at the 7th International Conference on
2 towers between 60 levels and 110 levels Multi-Purpose High Rise Towers and Tall
under various stages of design and Buildings, in Dubai (December 2005).
construction for clients in the Dubai and Gulf
Dr. Peyman Askari Nejad, Hyder Consulting, CTBUH region.
Country Representative Iran