MAJOR PROJECT 2008

The following are my final posters for the Major Project. I struggled a little bit to get started with the project but found that as soon as i had an idea for what type of construction method would be best used then everything else fell into place. The biggest isue was wether i could use a tilt-up construction system whilst not having the need for massive coloumns in my warehouse space. I decided that using UB rafters that would be wleded to cast-in plates on the tilt-up panels that would be reinforced with steel inside, would allow me to acheive this.

Overall, i think this assignment gives the oppurtunity to challenge

yourself by having to some what 'copy' what another previous architect would have done if this project were commisioned to them.

Louis Kahn

For the Major Project, my influence will come from Louis Kahn. Kahn has been a favourite architect of mine for a while especially ever since watching the movie "My Architect" by his son Nethnaiel.

Louis Kahn's buildings use monumenatlism and he creates such monolithic structures that are great to see and i hope to see them in person one day. My favourite and the buildning that fives me the most inspiration is the Slak Institute. From the natural texture's of the concrete finishes, to the seperation of the two buildings on either side by a large open piazza space with a small river running through leading to the view of the ocean is truly amazing.

I have tried to take some ideas from Louis Kahn's architecture and implement it into my own.

Article 6

This article looks at how a modular design speeds London Aviation Centre hangar project. This project is essentially a big Meccano set. All the pieces are pre fabricated and shipped to the site and easily put together then tilted up on site. The fact that this project is a hangar which requires large spans with no coloumns as such in the middle of the main floor space, allows a construction technique of this kind to be undertaken.

Source: Daily commercial news and construction record [http://www.dcnonl.com/article/id27284]

Article 5

This article talks about when and why concrete is better than steel in construction. It fairly suggests that below 50,000 sqr feet, steel is generally a better product ot use as the main material in the construction as the cranes needed to be used wont be for as long as if it were a concrete project. However when the job is over 50,000 sq ft concrete is a better solution as it is a cheper raw material and the fact that the cost of crane hire is negated by the concretes cheap cost and ease of construction on site.

Source: Tiltup.com

Article 4

The use of tilt-up construction as a 'quick build' method is decribed in this article. It showed how a project that was running behind on schedule ended up being finished 2 weeks prior to its deadline thorugh the collabrative use of Tilt-up construction with all the other trades invilved on site.

Source: Tiltup.com

Article 3

This article whilst not focusing on commerical construction systems as such, does look at alternatives for warehouse/storage owners gaining more space without having to create costly new facilities. Advnaces in rack shelving has seen that warehouses whilst having the same structure but using new storage systems can effectively widen the warehouse itself by allowing more use of the given floor space.

Article 2

This article is about a new building material that is both structural and cladding which is called 'zego' block. Zego blocks are essentially hollow polystyrene sections that are erected as walling just like a timber frame would be except they are then filled with concrete which give the polystyrene its thermal mass and structural stability.

Source: Building Connection Magazine

Article 1

Article looks at the concrete house built for the "2004 Year of the Bilt Enviroment Houses for the Future" which was constructed overnight. Article talks about concretes thermal mass as well as in this case, its ability through pre cast panels to be moved around due to either a change of lifestyle or climate. Also shows how this house has a garden on its roof that doubles as a filtering system for gray water.

Source: Building Connection Magazine

Grocon Axa Building

Grocon AXA Building

Location: Docklands

Pictures Taken: 2006

Image shows setting up of sacrificial formwork for slabs

Two outlets are visible to which tensiion machine will be hooked up and pull on the reo bars exposed.

Close up of previous image.

Photo shows a coloumn with starter bars tat will connect to the next floor when it is poured.

Starter Bars atop a poured coloumn with formwork know flush with top of coloumn ready for connection of reinforcemnt for slab and puring of cement

Tilt up pre-cast panel being propped until ready to be connected to other panels/floor

Typical Residential Details

Portal Frame Site Photos

The following photo's were taken 2 years ago at two locations. One was behind a school in Preston where a new gym was being constructed. The other was also a gym except it is located in the Thomastown area.

BASE CONNECTIONS

The column is shown here being connected to the concrete pad. Four bolts already cast into mass concrete pad or reinforced pad then lined up with base of column and bolted down.

KNEE JOINTS

Knee Joint at rafter and column connection is shown with a bolted joint. Many bolts on both rafter and column increase a better secure connection

APEX JOINT

Apex Joint securing the connection between to spans of rafter. End plates on both rafters are welded on and then meet up to be bolted together.

PURLIN TO RAFTER

'C’ section purlin bolted to cleat. Cleat is welded to rafter

GIRT TO COLOUMN

‘C’ section girts are attached to column through bolted cleat which is welded to column

WALL AND ROOF BRACING

Wall and Roof bracing achieve the same goal by increasing the structural rigidity of the portal frame. Cross angle bars as in the pictures are connected by bolts to the column or rafter depending on what type of bracing is needed.

Portal Frame Details