Constructing Environments Karen Dionisio-See Week 6
Activity: Structural Concepts (Part Two) This activity is consisted of making the model for structural elements of the ERC Student Centre using different materials such as balsa wood and pasteboard. The group has focused on the construction of the roof and clumns/ walls of the building.
Roof Plan
This illustration was found at the engineering working drawings that consists of the roof plan of the ERC Student Centre. This was the plan where we took all the information for the roof’s structural elements. Before starting, we first selected the part of the plan wherein we will build the model (the shaded region in the image). This section is located in between the ERC library and the Doug McDonell buildings. This area was the basis of our model’s floor plan. Floor Plan
This drawing is the section of the roof wherein we based the heights of the walls and the way the roof had different angles (one part is the bolted steel frames connected to the existing concrete wall of the ERC library and the other is supported by columns parallel to the Doug McDonell building. The steel members are bolted to the concrete wall to resist moments when live loads are applied to the titled roo. (Ching 2008: 6.07)
Constructing Environments Karen Dionisio-See Week 6
PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF THE PROCESS First, one of my groupmates traced the size of the floor plan (1:100 scale) to the pasteboard. Then she made 6 columns (6000mm each) next to the Doug McDonell. 1st
3rd
Then she measured the height of the existing concrete wall of the ERC building and attached it to the left side of the model. She then created temporary columns to the back end of the building for the roof. 2nd
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Final Model
While the foundation of the structure was being made, the other members of the group started with the roof structural members. We began with the overhanging part of the roof near the entrance of the building that consisted of primary and secondary steel members to support the window panels or glass cladding (E-learning Wall Systems 2013). We then cut pieces of the primary or main steel beams in the roof structure that supported the secondary members (Ching 2008: 4.15). With this, we were able to connect the secondary beams that strengthened the primary steel members. We then, connected the flat roof structure to the columns and attached the remaining structural beams to the concrete wall. Finally, we connected the overhanging roof to the flat roof structure. With this method, we were able to keep the model stable by making sure that the horizontal members equally distributed their forces to the vertical structural members.
Constructing Environments Karen Dionisio-See Week 6
LOAD PATHS The primary vertical structures consist of the columns and existing concrete walls in the east and west of the building. These vertical members then support the main horizontal beams of the roof strucutre, which then hold up the secondary beams (Ching 2008: 4.15). This structural steel framing is called the triple beam system wherein a large, column-free space is needed in the building. As you can see in the image, the roof structure is bolted to the columns to carry the long spanning beams of the roof.
The secondary structural members extend to create overhanging roof beams that are supported by the main beam near the entrance of the building (Ching 2008: 6.06). The steel structural members are used to allow glass framing in the sloped part of the roof Ching 2008: 6.06).
The longitudinal beams intersecting the main beams are called purlins. Moreover, these primary beams support the purlins that make a decking span between 2 members (Ching 2008: 6.06) The structural members colored in purple are the primary structures of the building.
Load paths
The arrows serve as the pathway of the loads that are applied to the structural members of the building. The horizontal structural members distribute the loads to their ends that meet the columns or existing vertical structural systems. The columns as well as the concrete wall collect the loads from the horizontal members of the structure (Interactive Structure Columns 2013), which are the main beams in the roof system.