During the analysis of “Technical Report 2: Structural Study of Alternate Floor Systems”, it was determined that the existing structure has potential to be designed more efficiently.  From Technical Report 2, it was determined that the structure could be made more efficient by switching to a reinforced concrete. As a result the overall structure height could be reduced allowing for a reduction in building cost and project scheduling. Another advantage for a concrete structure is the inherent fireproofing. This will save cost for fire retardant spray needed for the existing structure. Although formwork and lead times will adjust the costs and schedule of the project, it is estimated that these changes will make the structure more efficient.

The owners of the Children’s Hospital would like to have flexibility for future expansion. With this in mind, additional floors will be designed for the proposed structure. The effects due to wind and seismic loads will increase due to the change in overall building height. Along with the solution to problem one, the loads due to the expansion will be analyzed to size members adequately.

The redesign of the structural system for the Children’s Hospital will be modeled using AE 597A (Computer Modeling). An ETABS model for the concrete design will be used to determine member forces.  AE 542 (Building Enclosure Science and Design) will be referenced in the design of the proposed curtain wall design.  A heat transfer analysis will be used to determine the heat flow rate through both the existing and proposed systems. 

The redesign of the structure using reinforced concrete instead of structural steel will have significant impact on the cost and schedule for the project. Direct costs associated with the redesign will include items such as base material cost, additional labor teams, and formwork. An alternative schedule will be necessary to account for the new construction process. An accurate detailed analysis of these changes in cost and project schedule will be necessary to determine the effects of the proposed changes compared with the existing design.

Due to the large amount of north facing glass on the façade of the Children’s Hospital, a heat transfer analysis will be performed to analyze the efficiency of the existing curtain wall system.  Based on the analysis, an alternative configuration will be proposed to decrease heat loss due to the exposed glass curtain wall.  Comparisons will be made with the existing curtain wall system to quantify the energy savings of the proposed system.