7 MAY 2009- [UPDATE] REVISED THESIS REPORT: SMILOW CANCER CENTER - YALE-NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL

7 APRIL 2009- FINAL THESIS REPORT: SMILOW CANCER CENTER - YALE-NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL

As a hypothetical situation, during the early stages in the design of Smilow Cancer Center, the cost of structural steel has risen significantly. This development has suddenly made concrete the material of choice for the sixteen-story structure. And so, for the purposes of this thesis, the steel frame and concrete shear wall system of the existing design will be replaced with an entirely concrete system. This system will still utilize the four C-shaped shear walls around the core of the building, but it will substitute a reinforced concrete frame for the steel frame originally designed. A full three-dimensional computer model will be generated for the proposed structural system as a part of the M.A.E. requirement.

Also, because of the critical nature of the hospital, the new concrete frame will be analyzed for the effects of progressive, or disproportionate, collapse. In the case of Smilow Cancer Center, failure of even a few critical members on the ground level could easily lead to very catastrophic results. Damage to the hospital could cost up to the millions of dollars, not to mention the tragic and severe loss of life that could ensue. This thesis explores the feasibility of designing typical interior and corner columns and their surrounding elements for progressive collapse.

In addition to the superstructure, the exterior cladding/envelope of the building will also be considered in the redesign of Smilow Cancer Center. The pros and cons of installing a blast-resistant curtain wall system—at least at ground level—will be analyzed. Hopefully, this type of curtain wall would partially alleviate the effects of any destructive events that may occur. Of course, this system would have to be compared to the existing unitized curtain wall panel system in terms of blast-resistance and thermal performance.