THESIS PROPOSAL-

Thesis Proposal (pdf)

Revised Thesis Proposal (pdf)     revised 1.17.09

The proposed thesis will include an investigation of the performance and feasibility of a two-way flat plate floor system as an alternative to the current, steel frame design.. Typical construction will comprise of 30ft x 22ft bays with 10” thick floor slabs. Shear walls will be designed to resist lateral loads and attempt will be made to develop  a regular scheme to ensure that the center of mass and center of rigidity will coincide.

Changing the structural system will have many far-reaching impacts to the overall project. In order to investigate the feasibility of the proposed design change, an architectural and construction breadth will be studied.

Executive Summary with Breadth Studies (pdf)     updated 1.16.09

Changing structural systems from steel to concrete may greatly impact the architectural design of the Gouverneur Healthcare Facility, making an architecture breadth a logical area of investigation. An extra row of columns will be added to the structure. The impact of these columns and shearwalls walls on the floor layouts will be investigated, and rearranging of spaces will be performed as necessary, while still meeting IBC and ADA requirements.

Along with the architecture, the change in systems from steel to concrete will influence the construction process considerably. It will be necessary to investigate these impacts as a second breadth study to determine if the proposed changes to the structural system are feasible. Schedules and cost estimates will be evaluated for both the current design and the proposed design.

Integrated Program Requirements

Due to the complicated nature of the Gouverneur Healthcare facility and the irregularities that occur in the structure, a full 3-dimensional structural model will be implemented in the design process. Using methods discussed in AE 597A - Computer Modeling, an accurate ETABS model will be developed to perform this task.