Depth- Concrete Framing Design

The gravity system for the redesigned building will consist of a solid one way slap with beams supported by concrete square columns. The lateral system design will consist of changing the braced frame walls to shear walls, and all the steel moment frames to concrete moment frames. To analyze the lateral System in more detail a 3-D model will be represented in ETABs. Changing the structure to concrete will create a much heavier mass, which in turn will create more of an effect due to seismic force. There are many advantages of having a concrete structure as opposed to a steel structures.

Changing the design to a solid one way slab should limit the deflection and vibration in UMCP due to the extra mass of the concrete. This will create a more comfortable atmosphere for the patients due to less vibration and better noise control (in both sound transmission and impact noise); performance in surgery rooms could also improve due to the same enhancements. A more in-depth research on vibration control in hospital surgery rooms will need to be conducted to make sure the needs of the hospital are met.

Also, the concrete does not need to be fireproofed, and by keep the same column layout the floor to ceiling height could decrease. Therefore, lifecycle costs of the hospital should decrease. A cost and schedule comparison will be completed to determine which framing system is more cost and time effective. The formwork and schedule of the project would impact the cost as well. Reusing formwork should maintain a low project cost.

Breadth Topic 1- Construction impact and Cost analysis

There will be a great impact on the project cost and scheduling for the redesign of the building. Erecting steel and placing concrete will require different construction scheduling due to the placing of the formwork and waiting for the concrete to cure. Therefore, an accurate schedule of the critical path of the redesign will be created for the new construction process.  The cost of the redesign will include items such as base material cost, labor teams, additional or eliminated work days, and formwork. For that reason, an analysis of the new cost and schedule will be necessary to compare with the existing design. RS Means 2010 will be used to conclude the final project cost.

Breadth Topic 2- Architecture Layout

Redesigning the new floor system may have an impact on the bay sizes, but the original layout of the bay sizes is very logical for the building use. In the new design bay sizes will not differ drastically from the original design, but this may create places where a concrete column is exposed. This may be aesthetically/visually pleasing if half of a circular column is shown jutting out of a wall, giving the room/corridor a different spatial feel.  Those protruding columns may also be functional if you place a table around it for the doctors/nurses to utilize. Also, for the lateral system, the steel moment frames are going to be designed as concrete moment frames. Then the glass curtain wall will still be functional. There will be much more research in this design for connecting the curtain wall to the concrete frame, and making the design aesthetically pleasing while meeting the codes and standards.

Alternative Breadth Topic 2- Sustainability

A green roof will be added on top of the atrium roof which will be accessible for the patients on the second floor. This will be an enjoyable additional architectural space, as well as a step into the future of sustainability. A check of the column sizes must be done to make sure the added weight of the roof will be supported. Water retention will be another issue that will have to be taken into design consideration.  Further research on xeriscaping must be done to see what type of plants should be used on the roof. This project is not LEED certified, but with some green additions i.e. solar panels, gray water reuse, water efficient toilets/sinks, and day lighting the project could be certified. The cost of the project will increase, but if it is done right a green building, overtime, saves money and helps the environment.

To view the thesis proposal click here

To view the revised thesis proposal click here

To view the final revised thesis proposal click here

Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work in progress for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Alexander Burg. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.

This page was last updated on 2/14/2012 by Alexander Burg and is hosted by the AE department © 2011/2012