Original Proposal:

Submitted 12-12-2014

Revised Proposal:

Submitted 1-16-2014

Structural Depth: Steel Framing Redesign

A hypothetical scenario is to be explored where the structure of the building is to be redesigned using a steel system. The typical bays for the building will likely need to be combined with adjacent bays to form a more rectangular geometry, which is more indicative of a steel system. The redesign must consider the strict height restriction for the area and will undoubtedly need to eliminate a floor level. With the subtraction of a floor and thus, useable space, two alternative steel designs will be investigated with additional above or below grade architecture to maintain the originally designed square footage of the building. This will be accomplished by moving the setback of the building up to the 7th floor from the 5th floor or by moving a level of the parking garage below grade.

Breadth 1: Construction Management- Cost and Schedule

Within the decision to redesign the building in steel, two alternatives will be considered in order to maintain the overall square footage of apartment and parking garage space. A detailed cost analysis will be performed to compare the cost of the steel and concrete structures as well as the two steel alternates. The cost of materials and labor will be considered in addition to potential economic benefits from more or less area of rentable apartment space.

Breadth 2: Mechanical - Parking Garage Ventilation System

One of the scenarios being investigated involves placing a level of parking garage below grade. The levels of parking garage above ground have half walls which categorize those floors as being ventilated by open air and do not require ventilation. If a floor of the parking garage were to be moved below grade, that floor would not be able to be naturally ventilated by open air. To solve this problem an HVAC system for that floor will be designed.

MAE Requirements:

Throughout the investigation process multiple areas of graduate level coursework will be implemented into the redesign of the building. Computer modelling is one area in which this knowledge will be implemented. RAM will be used to analyze the building’s gravity system, while ETABS will be used to analyze the lateral system. These tasks will utilize skills attained in AE530, Computer Modeling of Building Structures. Additionally, a few of the typical steel connections in the redesign will be designed using methods learned in AE 534, Analysis and Design of Steel Connections.