Kinetic design by Thornton Tomasetti

Kinetic Design

We’ll get you moving.

Thornton Tomasetti understands kinetic structures. Our expertise is informed by lessons learned over decades of designing new systems, investigating underperforming systems, assessing system failures and designing repairs and enhancements for facilities with retractable roofs and other movable elements. This experience has taught us what works – and what doesn’t. Our unique insight into the demands that structural and mechanical components impose on each other, combined with an appreciation of maintenance requirements, has made Thornton Tomasetti a recognized expert in kinetic structure design.

Geometrid Pavilion Collaboration between Mia Tsiamis of TU Delft and Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio Cover: Florida Polytechnic University Innovation, Science and Technology (IST)

Building roof deployment sequence (photos © Macbeth Studio)

What’s Moving at Thornton Tomasetti? Our engineers have been busy, working on more than 35 projects with major kinetic components. Kinetic structural and architectural elements are increasingly important in modern-day multipurpose facilities. Retractable roofs, operable walls and doors, and convertible seating create functional, flexible spaces that are scalable and salable and enhance the user experience. Our breadth of work includes planning, new design and construction support, assessment and investigation, repair, renovation, expansion and deconstruction.

An Integrative Approach to Kinetic Design The successful integration of kinetic features into a facility requires structural and mechanization systems that complement each other. We work with owners, architects and facility managers to clearly articulate the underlying functional requirements and their effects on aesthetic goals. We apply the combined expertise of our structural engineers, façade engineers, sustainability experts and construction engineering specialists to develop a holistic approach that balances aesthetics, efficiency, sustainability, constructability and cost. We look beyond the conventional answers – considering the full range of systems, design consultants and procurement options – to help the project team find integrated and holistic solutions. Our goal is to provide the best value for each project.

Kinetic Design

Shed, TheThe Shed, NewNew York,York, NewNY York (see next page for details)

The Shed

New York, New York S e r vices: Kinetic Engineering, Structural Engineering,

Façade Consulting, Daylight Analysis, Construction Engineering C lie nt: The Shed A rchite ct: Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group

Designed as the centerpiece of the 6.6-million-squarefoot Hudson Yards development project, The Shed, a new 200,000-square-foot steel-framed cultural facility, will be dedicated to the development and presentation of the visual and performing arts. The Shed consists of two major elements: a four-story fixed building and a telescoping outer shell that allows it to expand and contract, offering unprecedented flexibility. Its movable component, weighing more than 4,000 tons, rolls out 114 feet to form a temperature-controlled venue, which can accommodate large-scale art exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, and galas. A sled drive atop the fixed building propels the enclosure on large, customfabricated bogies rolling along a dual-rail system. It will feature several independently operable elements that allow the facility to serve as a multifunction space. The Shed is defined by the geometry of the structural members on its north and south walls. The skin and roof are made of fritted cushions of ETFE, a transparent, lightweight material that is more energy efficient and less costly than glass. We proposed the use of ETFE for the cladding design based on its minimal weight, integrated shading, and superior strength, which allow for a lighter, more efficient structural system that maximizes transparency without excessive heat gain or glare.

Kinetic Design

Courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro / Rockwell Group

Florida Polytechnic University, Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building Lakeland, Florida

S e r vices: Structural Engineering, Kinetic Engineering C lie nt: Florida Polytechnic University D esign Archite ct: Santiago Calatrava A rchite ct o f Recor d: Alfonso Architects

This two-story facility features a prominent glass and steel cupola with an operable louver system and a continuous pergola defined by 94 arched aluminum “leaves.” The initial design concept called for two 250-foot-long movable arches to raise and lower the louvers. Working with the project architect, our structural and mechanical team developed an alternative in which individual hydraulic pistons operate each of the louvers, allowing for a lighter, less expensive support structure and minimizing the need for custom parts.

Wimbledon No. 1 Court Development Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom

S e r vices: Structural Engineering, Façade Engineering C lie nt: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club C on ce pt/De sig n Ar chit ec t : Grimshaw Pro du ctio n Arch itec t : KSS

Mirroring its own Centre Court, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club upgraded Court No. 1 to incorporate a retractable roof. The movable roof comprises several prismatic steel trusses, which span 75 meters across the width of the bowl, with a folding tensioned fabric between them. It is supported at either end by long-span longitudinal trusses that form part of the fixed roof. Thornton Tomasetti served as the structural and façade engineer for the roof’s design, as well as ensuring structural-mechanical integration.

Kinetic Design

AELTC/KSS Design Group Ltd

9 Brad Malmsten / Thornton Tomasetti

U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota

S e r vices: Structural Engineering, Façade Engineering,

Kinetic Mechanization Design C lie nt: Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority A rchite ct: HKS Sports & Entertainment Group

U.S. Bank Stadium is designed to host a variety of events, including NFL football, MLS soccer, NCAA basketball and baseball, high school sports, motocross races, concerts and conventions. At 1.7 million square feet, the stadium holds 66,200 seats, including 8,200 club seats and 131 suites. The design team applied Thornton Tomasetti’s parametric modeling techniques to perform slope optimization studies that contributed to the creation of one of the lightest structural steel stadium roofs in North America. The steeply lofted roof, a principal architectural feature, is designed to shed the Minnesota snow. A single monumental steel ridge truss, spanning 970 feet along the length of the field, provides the primary support for the roof structure. On one side of the ridge, the roof is clad in a clear ETFE system. Thornton Tomasetti’s structural engineering, façade engineering, construction engineering and kinetic mechanization design teams collaborated with the architect to design an innovative building that features the largest ETFE roof in the United States (240,000 square feet) and the world’s five largest pivoting glass doors, which provide an opening 95 feet tall and 275 feet wide.

Kinetic Design

TILT at 360 Chicago Chicago, Illinois

S e r vices: Design for Special Structures, Façade Construction

Administration, Façade Detailed Design & Engineering, Façade Structural Analysis C lie nt: John Hancock Observatory A rchite ct: Montparnasse 56 Group

TILT, an operable steel-and-glass structure on the side of the John Hancock Center, at its 94th floor, allows patrons to hover 1,000 feet above the city, enjoying spectacular views. TILT’s mechanism is a two-part system composed of a stationary base structure and a movable viewing platform constructed of standard and custom built-up steel sections. The base is supported by the building’s steel structure. The platform rotates on one axis and is supported by the fixed structure. The viewing window consists of several layers of reinforced, tempered glass panels.

Safeco Field, Movable Roof Evaluation and Repair Seattle, Washington

S e r vices: Structural Evaluation, Finite-Element Modeling

After wheel bearings in the drive system of this facility’s movable roof had a series of performance issues, Thornton Tomasetti created structural finiteelement models of each roof panel and the supporting substructure and identified several causes of problematic loading on the bearings. We recommended a repair that our analysis indicated would reduce the thrust loading by 50 percent, as well as other repairs that could reduce the thrust loads by smaller amounts. Thornton Tomasetti has been assisting the Mariners with structural, mechanical and electrical condition assessments and making recommendations for renewal and repair since 2004.

Kinetic Design

www.GoSeattleCard.com, Smart Destinations

13 Courtesy 360 Chicago

Our Practices

Aviation Commercial Cultural & Institutional Defense Education (k–12) Energy Government Healthcare Higher Education Hospitality & Gaming Industrial Mission Critical Petrochemical Residential Sports Transportation (non-aviation)

Market Sectors

1949

Structural Engineering Protective Design Façade Engineering Weidlinger Transportation Construction Engineering Sustainability Weidlinger Applied Science Forensics Property Loss Consulting Renewal

Founded

To be the global driver of change and innovation in our industry Long-Term Goal

1,500 Employees

50 + Offices

E-mail us if you would like to collaborate or learn more about our services. We would love to stop by your office and learn about your project aspirations and requirements.

We want to hear from you! Our principal, Thomas Duffy, can be reached at TDuffy@ThorntonTomasetti.com.

Thornton Tomasetti optimizes the design and performance of structures, materials and systems for projects of every size and level of complexity. An employee-owned organization of engineers, scientists, architects and other professionals collaborating from offices worldwide, we support clients by drawing on the diverse expertise of our integrated practices.

We are committed to being a sustainable and enduring organization and the global driver of innovation in our industry.

Offices Worldwide 120 Broadway New York, NY 10271 T 917.661.7800

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ThorntonTomasetti.com