LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

6005 UGSL, ADVANCED STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Coursework Brief: Office Building

1.0 Project brief and Client’s Requirements

A private organization wishes to expand their business outside the Colombo and decided to construct a
branch office in center part of the country. The site is located at centre of Matale city. Client has
commissioned the initial structural designs to a firm of Design & Consulting Engineers. You must respond
as if you are the design engineer of the consultant’s team.

The proposed building is to be a four storey building, with a basement car park. Shape of the building and
its floor arrangement has shown in figure 1 to 3. Columns in the basement shall be arranged to maximize
the number of parking slots and keeping enough rooms for vehicle maneuvering. Client doesn’t want to
have any intermediate columns in the office area. No foundations are allowed to extend outside the site
boundary. Roof terrace shall be designed as an area susceptible to large crowds.

2.0 Design data:

Verification of structural viability should be carried out in accordance with current Eurocodes. You should
clearly state the documents used in support of calculations. Materials specifications should be defined to
current British Standards. Fire resistance of one hour is required

2.1 Actions:

All the permanent action (dead loads) and variable actions (imposed loads) shall be according to BS EN
1991-1-1:2002

2.2 Site conditions:

Exposure conditions:

The site is flat and situated on the centre of the city. The value of fundamental basic wind velocity, Vb,map,
should be taken as 22 m/sec (based on BS EN 1991-1-4:2005).

Ground conditions:

Borehole investigation results are given in

Appendix01.
3.0 Project tasks:

This is an individual assignment and the submission is to comprise four components:

i. A conceptual design report (20 Marks)

ii. Appendix 1 containing design calculations for the selected scheme superstructure (35
Marks)

iii. Appendix 2 containing the drawings of the selected scheme superstructure(35 Marks)

iv. Appendix 3 containing a sustainability appraisal (10 Marks)

The submission must not exceed 60 single sided A4 pages and five A3 size drawings.

3.1 Conceptual Design report:

A maximum of 20 pages, of either 1.5 line spaced text in a maximum 11pt font, or neatly hand written
in black ink, which should include:

i. An appraisal of two distinct and viable design solutions in structural concrete for the building, together
with their associated beam, column and wall layouts. The appraisals should comprise sketches of typical
floors with supporting notes, outlining the intended load transfer mechanisms, framing and stability
functions, and some brief notes on construction methodology.

ii. An evaluation of the merits and disadvantages of the two solutions. The evaluation should identify
significant differences such as cost or buildability between the two alternatives, and make a
recommendation in favour of one solution.

iii. A description of the foundation scheme adopted for the preferred solution, with a rationale for the
selection. A fully detailed design for the foundation scheme is not required.

iv. An outline specification for concrete and reinforcing materials.

v. A method statement for a safe construction procedure for the building.

vi. A statement on the robustness of the building to avoid disproportionate collapse.

3.2 Verification of structural viability:

The verification of structural viability of the selected scheme should be demonstrated in Appendices to the
conceptual design report to make up the balance of the report. (The maximum total length of the design
report, sustainability appraisal plus Appendix is 60 pages A4.)

The Appendices should contain sufficient design calculations by hand to establish the form and size of all
structural elements for the chosen scheme. Entrants should decide how best to convey this information
within the space constraints imposed.

Calculations for individual elements should enable a checker to clearly understand their contribution to
the strength and stability of the whole structure, and the load paths assumed. Hence, if computer output is
presented, validation by (approximate) hand calculations is also required. Consideration should be given
to performance at both Serviceability and Ultimate Limit States.

Note: calculations are not required for foundations, non-structural walls and staircases.
3.3 Drawings:

A total of five A3 drawings should be included. Drawings may be prepared using appropriate CAD
software, or by hand. In either case, notes and dimensions should not be smaller than the equivalent of an
11pt font.

Two of the A3 drawings should be used to present general arrangements, sections and elevations of the
building to show the layout, disposition and dimensions of structural elements for estimation purposes.
Drawings should be to an appropriate scale and must be dimensioned. Reinforcement details should not be
shown on these two drawings.

Other drawings should show all the structural details required for construction with general and special
notes. The structural detailing shall be carried out according to IstructE detailing manual, 3rd edition 2006.

3.4 Sustainability appraisal:

Effective maintenance of constructed assets to maintain them in serviceable condition is a key aspect of
sustainable construction as well as in control of life cycle costs. The client therefore requires a user manual
for the building, to be transmitted to the asset maintenance manager, outlining the steps to be taken to
monitor and maintain the structure in serviceable condition. Prepare a bullet list of contents of the user
manual (maximum two pages) covering all significant issues to be addressed in a maintenance plan for the
reinforced concrete structure, indicating the intervals at which monitoring of each item should be
undertaken. (The user manual for the structure is not to cover items of plant or services.)
**Dimensions shown in brackets are in meters (m)

BASEMENT PLAN

Figure1
**Dimensions shown in brackets are in meters (m)

TYPICAL PLAN FOR UPPER FLOORS

Figure 2
**Dimensions shown in brackets are in meters (m)

SECTION X-X

Figure 3
APPENDIX 01