som structural brochure web

8/10/2019 Som Structural Brochure Web

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S T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R I N G

S K I D M O R E , O W I N G S & M E R R I L L L L P


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Innovation, creativity, and design excellence are principle aspirations for our structural

engineering practice. We believe that the best engineering solutions result from a close

collaboration with our clients and our multi-disciplinary approach to design. We believe

that a refined science of structural engineering leads to the most efficient solutions,

resulting in least materials, and least cost. Our designs are sensitive to architectural goals

that result in distinctive and timeless structures, while consistently incorporating sustainable

design principles. We believe in constant renewal of our profession and our firm through

intellectual challenges, searching for new ideas with each project ideas that may

influence structures yet to be conceived.

If the engineer has the sympathy and understanding of architecture andthe architect has the realization of the strength and beauty of structure,

then they will make a good team and design successful structures.

Dr. Fazlur Rahman Khan

4 High-Rise Towers

10 Long-Span Structures

16 Seismic Systems

22 Unique Projects

28 Historic Preservation and Retrofit

34 Large Urban Projects

40 Other Selected Projects


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High-Rise Towers

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Vila Olimpica

Barcelona, Spain

1992

Exposed steel 45-story

mixed-use structure

consisting of a hotel,

apartment residences,

retail center, and office

facilities; located on the

Mediterranean coast.

Jin Mao Tower

Shanghai, China

1998

Multi-use complex consist-

ing of an 88-story tower and

a six-story podium building.This composite building

utilizes a concrete core,

eight concrete mega-col-

umns, eight steel columns,

and steel floor framing.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Cancer Center, Phase 1

New York, New York

2006

Comprised of R&D labs,

offices, and educational

facilities. Unique features

include the 23 stories that

cantilever over the existing

building and the multi-level

excavation basement that

reaches 80ft (24.4m)below grade.

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Sears Tower

Chicago, Illinois

1973

This towers 110-stories

are a result of a symbiotic

architectural-structural

integration that successfully

implements a bundled-tube

structural system. With its

gross area of 4.4 million sf

(409,000sm) it accommo-

dates an average daily

population of 16,500.

Fundamental principles of structural engineering are used as the basis of our tall building

designs. These fundamentals are refined with the use of advanced analytical techniques

and actual performance data obtained from constructed buildings. We continuously search

for new system solutions that increase performance, while considering specific site

conditions. We carefully study the behavior of these structures in the wind environment

to optimize the shape, orientation, and structural properties considering energy principles.

We embrace sustainable design concepts using advanced computer optimization programs

to minimize structural materials and integrate the structure with the architectural and

mechanical systems. Our goal is to develop solutions that are readily constructible

and cost-effective.

The Jinling Tower structural system evolved to meet the require-

ments of programming that included office, apartment, and hotel

uses, as well as tall-building design. Beginning with (left-to-right),

a dense tubular frame and culminating in a diagonal mesh-tube

frame that allowed larger skin openings for increased exterior

views while creating an optimally efficient structure.

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May 6, 1968 the John Hancock Center (preceding page)

was topped-off, becoming Chicagos tallest tower. All this was

made possible by a novel structurea trussed steel tube

that allowed the Hancock to rise 100 floors at a per-square-footstructural cost no higher than for a 30-story building.


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Scheduled for completion late 2009,

the Burj Dubai Tower will be the worlds tallest.

The structure incorporates a buttressed core,

a new structural system that interconnects

the central core with perimeter mega-columns.

The tower was shaped in response to wind

tunnel testing to minimize wind forces on

the structure. The building is a statement

of engineering principles, as well as a

sculptural object.

Al Hamra Firdous Tower

Kuwait City, Kuwait

2009

Anchors a commercial

complex composed of

offices, a health club, and

a high-end shopping mall

with theaters and a food

court. Reaching 74 stories,

this will be the tallest

building in Kuwait.

Infinity Tower

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2010

Each floor level of the

towers 73 stories will step

by one degree and be

anchored to an inner

cylindrical concrete core

spine. This high-strength,

reinforced-concrete

structure will be entirely

cast-in-place.

Pearl River Tower

Guangzhou, China

2009

This 71-story sculpted super

tall tower is the product

of a desire to create a selfsustaining, high performance

office building. From its

form to its location, every

aspect is designed to harvest

wind and solar energy.

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Jinling Tower

Nanjing, China

2007

Eighty stories of diagonal-

mesh structural frames

that naturally express

the changing program of

office, serviced apartments,

and hotel while achieving

unprecedented structural

efficiency.


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Long-Span Structures

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Korea World Trade Center

Seoul, South Korea

2000

This extension to the existing Center

included an office building, an expand-

ed convention and exhibition center;

an 800-room luxury hotel, a two-story,

below-grade retail mall and urban

entertainment complex, and three

parking levels to accommodate

5,600 cars and buses.

Virginia Beach Convention Center

Virginia Beach, Virginia

2006

150,000sf (14,000 sm) of exhibition

space subdivided into four halls for

flexible use. The halls, with their 40ft

(12m) ceilings an d a 255ft (77.7 m),

column-free, clear-span roof, are some

of the tallest in the U.S. The lobby is

defined by a 75ft (23m) tall, highly

energy-efficient glass curtain wall.

Suzhou International Expo Center

Suzhou, China

2005

Two levels of exhibition facilities

provide simple and direct access

for visitor and service traffic from

surrounding areas. The column-free

upper-level sub-halls are configured

to provide a contiguous exhibition

areaone of the largest exhibition

spaces in the world.

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KAL Operation Center

Kimpo International Airport

Seoul, South Korea

1995

This multi-purpose structure combines

hangar operations with facilities for

airline employees. The main structural

feature is the double-arch steel truss

roof with its 590ft (180m) column-

free span that is supported by three

box columns.

We have found a great deal of flexibility in materials and systems that are appropriate for

structures requiring large spaces absent of vertical support. These systems use lightweight

structural materials with geometries refined to a ccommodate spans and, in some cases,

incorporate initial pre-stressing to alter initial conditions with an anticipation of future loads.

Special considerations are required for construction including sequences, temporary

stress states, and final long-term conditions.

International Terminal, San Francisco International Airport

(preceding/facing page) main hall with its exposed steel trusses

supported by columns that are supported by friction-pendulum

cast-steel base isolators. Completed in 2000, it is the largestbase-isolated building in the world.

Atlantico Pavilion

Worlds Fair Expo 98

Lisbon, Portugal

1998

Inspired by the sailing ships of

Portugals golden age, the Pavilions

interior is defined by the glu-laminated

timber structural trusses that span

up to 380ft ( 116m), making them

among the longest in the world.

Hong Kong Convention and

Exhibition Centre Extension

Hong Kong, China

1997

The project is prominently located

on an island constructed of reclaimed

land overlooking Victoria Harbour. The

distinctive roof form, which resembles

the outspread wings of a bird, creates

a dramatic convention hall with

column-free spans of 263ft ( 80m).

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Since its opening in 1966, the SOM design for the Oakland-Alameda

County Coliseum and Arena hasand continues to berecognized as

a significant architectural and engineering achievement. Its architectural

beauty lies in its clarity of structure that enables it to resist high

seismic loads, while providing large column-free spaces.


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Seismic Systems

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The Pin-Fuse JointTM allows structures to respond to seismic forces

without permanent plastic deformation. The joint allows the structure

to remain in service for the next major seismic event. SOM has received

a U.S. patent for this seismic-resistant system.

Conventional frame system

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Frame system incorporating the Pin-Fuse JointTM

Our seismic engineering practice considers structures as mechanisms in motion,

rather than static objects. We use performance-based design methods to define

structural behavior and provide solutions that exceed code-defined requirements.

We refine the structures mass, strength, stiffness, and damping to achieve a favorable

response. The placement of material, detailing, and energy dissipation contribute to safe,

economical, and immediately occupied structures. Where increased performance is

desired to protect contents or ensure continuous operation, we have developed structural

systems that separate structures from ground motions through seismic isolation,

and we have developed special seismic-resistant frame joints that dissipate energy

without permanent deformations. We develop structural systems that protect

the significant financial investments required for each project.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light (below/preceding page) integrates a tensile

structural system of both steel and glulaminated wood with a friction-pendulum

seismic isolation system. The isolators, positioned at the base of the supporting

columns, allow for a displacement margin of 20 inches. This combination

significantly reduces seismic forces on the structure protecting the structure to

maintain longevity in a high seismic region. Scheduled for completion in 2008.

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United States Embassy

Beijing, China

2008

Largest and most complex

non-military overseas facility ever

undertaken by the U.S. government.

This 500,000-sf (46,500sm) com-

pound on a 10-acre site will consist

of eight buildings, including two office

buildings, a consular services building,

marine barracks, a parking garage,

and perimeter inspection stations.

Goldfield International Gardens

Beijing, China

2006

Two towers, 45 and 30 stories, linked

by a three-story entry hall/retail

galleria. Structural systems utilized

include reinforced concrete, one- and

two-way slabs, beams, shear walls,

ductile moment-resisting expressed

screen frames and mat foundations,

with structural steel at the long

span entry hall roof.

AboveNet

San Francisco, California

2001

This facility houses approximately

250,000sf (23,000s m) of computer

co-location space. This four-story

reinforced-concrete warehouse

constructed in 1940, required the

building to be lifted and the

installation of friction-pendulum

base isolators to meet essential

facility seismic requirements.

SOM-designed San Francisco St. Regis Hotel and Residences (facing page)

was completed in 2005. The structural system of this 42-story tower consists of

a central reinforced-concrete mega-shear wall core combined with a perimeter

ductile-reinforced concrete moment-resisting frame. It is the tallest concretestructure on the West Coast and in a Seismic Zone 4 area.


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Unique Projects

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Al-Rajhi Bank

Headquarters

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

2009

The tower is conceived as four piers

shielding an uninterrupted, column-

free central office space. The mono-

lithic concrete piers achieve a unique

monumentality, and respond to the

harsh desert climate by creating

an internalized oasis.

General Motors

Entrance Pavilion

Detroit, Michigan

2005

A glass clad cable-net Entrance

Pavilion was engineered to identify

the primary tenant and mark the

major public entrance to the office

component of the Renaissance

Center Development.

Beijing Poly Plaza

Beijing, China

2006

A mixed-use facility is comprised of offices above grade,

retail below, and a main public space featurethe Poly Museum

of repatriated national treasures. This Museum occupies seven

stories and is attached to one side of the atria, with its weight

suspended by four cables mounted to two rocking cradle

mechanisms. These provide a range of motion, which allows forthe required building drift caused by extreme seismic loads.

Structural steel rocker mechanisms placed at the top of the

featured museum and at the base of large stayed cables relieve

forces imposed by seismic loads, while providing support for

the worlds largest cable-net exterior wall system.

Raspberry Island

Schubert Club Band Shell

St. Paul, Minnesota

2002

This glass-covered, anticlastic, lattice-

grid shell was realized through a col-

laboration with artist Jamie Carpenter.

Utilizing a unique system of offset

pipes and single-rod diagonals, makes

it both stronger and more economical

than a traditional welded-steel grid.

Our developments within the last several years have further enabled complex structures

to be designed and built efficiently. These projects incorporate difficult geometries

and require engineering that integrates sophisticated analytical models. Many of these

models are developed directly from initial study models created in the design studio.Building Information Modeling techniques allow the fabrication and site construction of

structural members to occur based on digitized model origins, many of which incorporate

repetitive systematically constructed components. Large displacement geometric

non-linear behavior, as well as material non-linearity, is considered in much of this work

to understand system behavior and create practical solutions.

Architect Frank O. Gehry and Associates originally

favored the familiarity of reinforced concrete for the

complex surfaces of the Guggenheim Museum in

Bilbao, Spain. SOMs structural engineers proposed a

modular lattice steel grid system (right/preceding page)

creating repetitive components that could be fabricated

in large quantities and in advance of site construction.

Completed in 1997, the project incorporated one of the

earliest applications of Building Information Modeling

in which digital models were used. This innovative

approach proved to be extremely economical and

allowed for greater tolerance control in the field.

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Roden Crater

Flagstaff, Arizona

2006

American artist James Turrell envisioned the transformation

of a natural cinder volcano crater into a large-scale artwork

that relates to the universe of the surrounding sky, land,

and culture through the medium of light. SOM engineered

the creation of a series of interconnected tunnels that lead

to view chambers of the crater. Invisible from above ground,

this project will both modify and preserve the volcanos

natural form and showcase the drama of light, landscape,

and celestial events.

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SOMs long history of collaboration with

contemporary artists has resulted in some

of the worlds most recognized landmarks.

Pablo Picasso in his studio (facing page)

and the 1967 dedication and unveiling of the

completed sculpture at Daley Plaza in Chicago.

In addition to instigating Picassos contribution,

SOM provided structural engineering services

for the steel sculpture.


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Historic Preservation and Retrofit

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Palace Hotel


1991

This 1909 structure underwent a full

architectural historic restoration and

facility renovation with structural

seismic upgrade. SOMs engineers

were responsible for the seismic

evaluation, base-isolation feasibility

study, testing program, seismic

strengthening analysis and design,

and architectural renovation.

U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel

Colorado Springs, Colorado

2004

Originally completed by SOM in 1963,

this progressive structure of its day

forged new ground in typical building

convention. After 40 years of repairs

and upgrades, SOM was approached

to update the structure back to its

original design, utilizing the latest

technological advances in materials

and methods.

Williams Building


2005

This historic building was part of

the development that included the

St. Regis Tower and Museum of the

African Diaspora. The retrofit consisted

of installing a skin of shotcrete on

the masonry walls, installing a new

mat foundation, and tying aligning

floor diaphragms to that of the new

floors of the tower for primarylateral support.

Martin Theater Renovation

Highland Park, Illinois

1992

The last remaining original building

of this 1904 development was

renovated as a centerpiece of this

performing art facility known as the

Ravinia Festival. The renovation

optimized the theater for chamber

music performance, while preserving

the original architectural character

of both the interior and exterior.

Civic Opera House

Chicago, Illinois

1996

Built in 1928 and home of the

Lyric Opera of Chicago, this building

had remained essentially unchanged

from its original design. SOM was

hired to accommodate a modern

back-of-house program, as well as

the engineering of a new acoustically

sophisticated air-handling system,

a new central plant, and equipmentdedicated to the Lyric.

Charnley House

Chicago, Illinois

1988

Built in 1891 and generally

acknowledged to be an early work

of Frank Lloyd Wright, this National

Historic Landmark was adapted for

the use of the SOM Foundation.

Extensive engineering was required

to restore the structure to its

original condition and to outfit it

for todays use.

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We believe it is essential for structures with historic significance to be protected.

Structural engineering sciencesuch as advances in materials, greater understanding

of loading conditions at the site and structural behavior including secondary building

elementshas evolved with the age of these structures. Historic structures in areas ofhigh seismicity are at significant risk. We use performance-based design techniques,

combined with advanced non-linear computer programs, to consider existing building

materials, building irregularities, and site-specific loading conditions. This results

in a comprehensive understanding of the structural behavior, leading to safe

and sustainable projects.

Restoration of the landmark Chicago Symphony Center

(right /preceding page), designed by Daniel Burnham

in 1904, required innovative engineering. This involved

strengthening the foundation, structurally encapsulating

the hall within the three new buildings, and redesigning

the HVAC systemsall without disrupting the Symphonys

performance season. This extensive restoration began in

1990 and was completed in 1997.

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In the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake,the General Services Administration asked SOM to

restore and seismically retrofit its historic 1905 U.S. Court

of Appeals Building in San Francisco. SOM approached

the project collaboratively, integrating advanced structural

engineering, detailed restoration, and inventive architectural

design. The solution included an innovative friction

pendulum base-isolation system, which raised each of

the buildings columns onto steel disks. This approach

preserved the use of the existing basement level, while a

novel installation technique reduced the cost of the project

by over $7 million. At the time of its completion in 1996,

the U.S. Court of Appeals was the largest base-isolated

structure in the world.

To bring the original building up to contemporarystandards, SOM restored and renovated courtrooms,

chambers, and other interior spaces, unobtrusively adding

new information-technology systems. The most striking

change was the conversion of the buildings interior

courtyard, previously used as a mail-sorting room, into a

new law library (facing page). The librarys dramatic new

glass roof, which acts in concert with the overall seismic

engineering concept, brings filtered daylight into the

old building, while alluding to the industrial elements

of the structures landmark architecture.


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Large Urban Projects

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Beijing Finance Street consists of the following parcels: two 24-story office towers; four 18-story office

towers; a 16-story office tower; a 18-story hotel; two 14-story residential buildings; a 14-story office tower;

five 6 story residential buildings; a 4 story theater; a 4 story trading hall; a 4 story conference center;


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five 6-story residential buildings; a 4-story theater; a 4-story trading hall; a 4-story conference center;

and a 4-story retail center. In addition to the basement areas under the superstructure footprints,

the entire site is excavated to provide underground parking on four basement levels.


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Other Selected Projects

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LG Kangnam Art HallSeoul, Korea

2000

Composed of three parts:

an audience chamber,

a stage house, and lobby.

Audience chamber and

stage house were designed

as a separate building

resting on a state-of-the-art

structural vibration dampen-

ing system that creates

acoustical isolation.

Poly International Plaza

Guangzhou, China

2006

An expressed structure

of external X-bracings

are featured in these two

mixed-use towers and retail

podiums. The slender form

of the towers bring natural

light into the interior and

allows for column-free

office spaces.

U.S. Census Bureau HQSuitland, Maryland

2006

Designed to achieve a

LEED Silver certification,

the buildings form, cladding,

and roofing were all selected

as expressions of sustainable

architecture. The structural

system consists of a steel

superstructure with composite

metal deck slabs and steel

braced frames at the cores.

201 Bishopsgate/Broadgate

London, England

2008

These towers are the latest

phase of unbuilt components

for this multi-phase develop-

ment. Massing responds to

site constraints and contex-

tual relationshipsmuch of

the construction spans the

British Rail tracks going into

Liverpool Street Station.

NATO

Brussels, Belgium

2012

This headquarters to

accommodate the 26

member countries of the

North Atlantic Treaty

Organization, consists of

2.6 millionsf (242,000sm)

of offices, conferencing

and recreational facilities.

University of CaliforniaSan Francisco

2006

Campus housing of 431

units in four buildings

ranging from 7-15 stories.

Conventional reinforced

concrete is typically used

with post-tensioned concrete

slabs and cast-in-place

superstructure and

foundations.

Jianianhua CenterChongqing, China

2005

This 14-story office and

7-story retail complex was

designed with conventional

reinforced concrete framing.

The retail portion has a

facade comprised of a rotat-

ing triad sign segmented

into 148 panels to create

an ever changing graphic

encased behind glass.

Northwest Science Building

Cambridge, Massachusetts

2007

This Harvard University

laboratory for herbaria

and anthropological collec-

tions, required a strict

vibration criteria and a

high-level of integration

for MEP/HVAC, resulting in

a ladderbraced frame

lateral structural system.

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Our goal is to provide services that result in the highest quality of design for our clients

with an approach to engineering that embraces creativity and innovation. We aspire to

lead projects successfully through construction, developing and expanding on our original

concepts through working drawings and construction phase services. We perform

international work in conformance with locally defined standards and create bilingual

documentation of our designs. We value the close collaboration with other design disciplines

and embrace the design challenges throughout the process, many of which result in

directions that are refined into future work, and many with the same clients.

UC Merced Central Plant Complex (preceding page), completed in 2005,

is composed of three elements: a three-story plant building, a thermal storage

tank, and a telecom building. In addition to providing power for the universitys

first-phase buildings, the plant also plays a key role in achieving the ambitious

sustainable design goals outlined by the UC Regents20 percent lower than

any existing UC campus and is pending LEEDGold certification.

Stockley ParkUxbridge, England

1990

Situated near Heathrow Airport,

this former landfill of 343 acres

(1.4 million sm) has been converted

to an office park and recreational area.

The SOM project consists of three

office buildings on an uneven triangu-

lar site, bordered by a raised highway

to the east and a canal to the south.

Beckman Conference CenterIrvine, California

1988

The West Coast conference facility

for the National Academies of Science

and Engineering is located on a seven-

acre site, with a 50,000s f (4,650 sm)

building distributed in two wings.

Consisting of an auditorium, meeting/

conference rooms, kitchen, and indoor

as well as outdoor dining facilities.

Virginia State LibraryRichmond, Virginia

1997

Designed for maximum flexibility,

providing the infrastructure to

support emerging information and

communications technologies, while

preserving the tradition of great

American libraries with a series of

grand reading rooms.


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Structural engineering services

are available through the Chicago,

San Francisco, and London offices.

CHICAGO

312 554 9090

224 South Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL 60604

NEW YORK

212 298 9300

14 Wall Street

New York, NY 10005

SAN FRANCISCO

415 981 1555

One Front Street

San Francisco, CA 94111

LONDON

011 44 207 798 1000

1 Olivers Yard

London, EC1Y 1HH

United Kingdom

LOS ANGELES

213 488 9700

333 South Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90017

HONG KONG

011 852 2810 6011

1805 Wheelock House

20 Pedder StreetCentral, Hong Kong

WASHINGTON, D.C.

202 367 2600

2001 K Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

SHANGHAI

011 8621 6473 5566

Suite 201, Block 7No 8 Jian Guo Zhong Road

Shanghai 200025

For more information,

please visit: www. som.com

SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL LLP

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