DES 425 Architectural Design 8: Design of Complex Structures

DAGA, JANMIL ADEL P. BSAR-4A MARCH 21, 2022

What are the design considerations for high-rise structures in the following aspects?
a. Utility Systems
Utilities are infrastructure services provided to consumers that are sometimes considered to be
‘public’ services, that is, they are supplied to the public and are important for the normal
functioning of society. As a result, they normally come under some form of public control. Utilities
are generally considered to include: electricity, gas, water and sewage and communications
services.
Utility system is as important as our gadgets, it makes our life easier and more comfortable. The
purpose of the utility provision within a building is to provide these utilities at the point of use.
It must therefore deliver the required service at the required point in order to provide sufficient
capacity for the requirements of users. These must be delivered in a safe and convenient manner
taking into account the likely requirements of other users of the building in order to ensure that
sufficient is always available.
The design of any system must therefore consider:
• The utilities that are required or might be required
• Size of the building
• Use of the building and the activities which are to be undertaken requiring utilities
• Loading Requirements – what is it needed for and for what time duration, are the
requirements spaced evenly over the day or do they come at specific periods.
In determining the requirements, the designer should also be aware of the costs of the utilities
in order to appraise the factors in deciding which utilities will be used i.e., should heating be
provided by gas, electricity or oil.

1 Design of utilities in buildings. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2022, from http://www.constructionsite -
resources.org/design_of_utilities_in_buildings_45.html
2 Anon, Utilities for construction and Operation. Utilities for construction and operation - Designing Buildings. Available at:

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Utilities_for_construction_and_operation [Accessed March 19, 2022].

Here are some of the most important utilities that is included not just for high rise buildings but
in general:
Water Supply System
One of the most important a building may it be commercial, residential, industrial etc., needs a
clean water transportation system. Water supply system in high buildings starting from the
retrieval water from well or from Local water company / meter and continued by making water
container or commonly referred to as Ground Water Tank (G.W.T) if placed on the base of the
building (Underground) or tank placed on top of the building that is in the form of a large tub
with the volume size tailored to the needs of water in the building.

3(59), raviyanda, Explained about the utility system on high buildings. Steemit. Available at:
https://steemit.com/engineering/@raviyanda/explained-about-the-utility-system-on-high-buildings [Accessed March
19, 2022].
Disposal and Treatment of Liquid Waste and Solid Waste System
The same with water supply system, waste management system also needs to be planned very
well. Of course, good planning is required in the system processing residual waste disposal in
High Buildings so that the process of disposal distribution during the operational period does not
cause serious problems, such as the classic problem of a waste pipe blockage or leakage resulting
in contamination of the surrounding environment.
Planning of sewerage system in high rise building begins with making waste management system
which generally comes from disposal from WC (Floor drain), hand washing sink or kitchen waste
and disposal from closed toilet waste by making Sewage Treatment Plant (S.T.P) system in the
form of septic tank which is a type of modern utility that works not only in accommodating but
can manage the rest of the waste so that the waste is safe for the environment.

4(59), raviyanda, Explained about the utility system on high buildings. Steemit. Available at:
https://steemit.com/engineering/@raviyanda/explained-about-the-utility-system-on-high-buildings [Accessed March
19, 2022].
Lighting, Electrical and Mechanical System
Lighting systems for high-rise structures and other types of buildings must be arranged in line
with the placing of lighting dots to be determined, as well as the electrical and mechanical
systems of a building.
Lighting systems depends not just on lighting devices; they can also be a setting of natural
sunlight exposure, especially in multi-story buildings that require numerous lights. Of course,
engineering natural daylight settings in the form of openings can reduce electricity operational
costs.

5(59), raviyanda, Explained about the utility system on high buildings. Steemit. Available at:
https://steemit.com/engineering/@raviyanda/explained-about-the-utility-system-on-high-buildings [Accessed March
19, 2022].
Transport System
In this case, the transportation system is a carrier system that transports people to different
floors of high-rise buildings. This transportation system can be in the form of vertical
transportation (Elevator / Lift) and walkway transport system (Escalator). In the construction of
a High Buildings of maintenance to the transport installation it is necessary to periodically pay
attention to provide comfort and safety for its users such as engine checks, chains / slinks and
electrical systems in elevators and as well as on the installation of escalator transport systems.

6(59), raviyanda, Explained about the utility system on high buildings. Steemit. Available at:
https://steemit.com/engineering/@raviyanda/explained-about-the-utility-system-on-high-buildings [Accessed March
19, 2022].
b. Ecological and Other Site Considerations
High-rise building, also called high-rise, in dictionary is a multistory building tall enough to require
the use of a system of mechanical vertical transportation such as elevators. High-rise building can
make benefit of both approaches, with more emphasis on the former trend. Since it depends
mostly on system solutions in structural, mechanical, electrical, transportation, natural lighting,
ventilation and facade design.
High-rise building is built out of necessity as one of a wide range of tools to achieve high density
development. The rapid growth of the economy contributes the growth and development of the
cities.
The growth of modern high-rise buildings significantly affects the existing climatic conditions of
the terrain and the environmental balance of the living environment. At the same time, the
density of urban development, the infrastructure and transport networks play an important role
in changing the living environment. Urban development as a combination of complex
architectural forms significantly affects the aerodynamics of the terrain. In this regard, both
industrial areas and high-density residential areas are environmentally unfavorable. Thus, high-
rise buildings and structures, being an integral part of a modern city, significantly aggravate the
environmental conditions of urban areas.
According to The Impact of High-Rise Buildings on the Living Environment, one of the important
components of the living environment of a city is the residential environment. The unified system
“man - apartment - building - neighborhood - residential area of the city” defined in the
scientific literature as “residential environment” has complex features and mechanisms.
Interacting with the residential environment, human being engages in non-productive activities
on the land of inhabited places. The growth of the living environment in large cities, which mostly
consists of multi-story structures, high-rise buildings, and contemporary public spaces, produces
variations in the terrain's temperature and wind conditions, aggravates the environmental
situation.
High-rise buildings or structures have a great impact not just for us but also for our environment.
It does give us a lot of opportunities, and have a lot of advantages but we should never forget
about the disadvantages it gives and put it into our design considerations. Architects consider
the density population of the area, the impact of high-rise buildings on the microclimate and the
environmental conditions, zoning, the spatial plasticity and the density of construction, which
affect the aerodynamics of the terrain and the pollution of the atmospheric air and many other
factors that can affect everything and everyone during and after the construction.

7 Anon, High-rise building. Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-rise-

building [Accessed March 19, 2022].
8 Anon, Why tall buildings? the potential of ... - koreascience.or.kr. Available at:

https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO201208160369029.pdf [Accessed March 19, 2022].

9 Anon, The impact of high-rise buildings on ... - e3s-conferences.org. Available at: https://www.e3s-

conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2018/08/e3sconf_hrc2018_01045.pdf [Accessed March 19, 2022].

c. Structural Systems
The structural system is one of the most important components of any entity in the universe,
which has a physical dimension. The basic objective in structural analysis and design is to produce
a structure capable of resisting all applied loads without failure during its intended life. The
primary purpose of a structure is to transmit or support loads. If the structure is improperly
designed or fabricated, or if the actual applied loads exceed the design specifications, the device
will probably fail to perform its intended function, with possible serious consequences. A well-
engineered structure greatly minimizes the possibility of costly failures.
Here, are the things to consider in structural system:
Loads (wind load and earthquake load)
Loads that has to be taken into consideration when designing a building are vertical loads from
self-weight, imposed loads, snow loads and horizontal loads from both wind and unintended
inclinations. For tall buildings, as earlier mentioned, the horizontal loading from wind is usually
the design load. The vertical loads are the self-weights, finishing loads and live loads and they are
transferred to the foundation through columns, load-bearing walls or towers. The live load
depends on the type of usage in the building and on the standard used for designing.
Materials
Choosing the right materials in building a project special in high-rise structures gives a great
impact during and after the construction of building. By selecting suitable materials to use in your
upcoming project, you can make a significant effect on many aspects of the construction process.
Connections
When designing a precast building it is important to consider the connections between elements,
which are part of the assembly procedure and should not interfere. Connections can be divided
in wet and dry connections. The difference between these is the use of concrete or mortar. Wet
connections are for example, mortar joints, cast in-situ blocks or cast in-situ slabs that are more
fire resistant, less sensitive for tolerance criteria and more ductile than dry connections.
Examples of dry connections are free supports, welded connections and cold joints which are
quick to assemble.

10 Anon, Structural design in nature and in Architecture - Wit Press. Available at:
https://www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/DN04/DN04058FU.pdf [Accessed March 20, 2022].
11 Anon, 2017. Importance of structural design. Aarushi Associates. Available at:

http://www.aarushiassociates.in/uncategorized/importance-of-structural-
design/#:~:text=Proper%20structural%20planning%20for%20a%20building%20makes%20it%20strong%20and%20co
st%20effective.&text=Support%20structure%20indeterminacy%20to%20provide,and%20pleasure%20to%20its%20occ
upants. [Accessed March 20, 2022].
12 Anon, Structural design of high-rise buildings - byggnadsmekanik. Available at:

https://www.byggmek.lth.se/fileadmin/byggnadsmekanik/publications/tvsm5000/web5213.pdf [Accessed March 20,

2022].
Geometrical shapes
The influence of geometrical shape in constructing a building can be observed anywhere we go.
It gives impression, satisfaction, comfort and many other things it gives off but there’s more to
it. The mathematical attribute of shapes are top considerations in the design of any standing
structure; no building can be constructed without a thorough understanding of this.
If you can observe most of the buildings are shaped rectangular or square. The reason most
commercial designs are rectangular, or square, is because they are easier, faster and more
economical to build out of ordinary materials – stone, concrete, brick or wood. Square and
rectangular shapes are also exponentially easier to reconcile, and there’s usually less waste.
Altered shapes not only utilize more materials and assets but are more expensive to construct
and maintain. But of course, there are many different shapes a building structures can have,
geometrical shapes in building structures varies depends on its purpose too.
Method
Method in constructing a project should also be considered in structural system. Even if you have
the right materials, right professionals in the site but using a wrong method in construction, the
project might still fail and every will go wrong.
Comfort requirements
The dynamic effects should be considered both for serviceability and safety. When considering
safety, the risk of resonance is of interest and when considering serviceability, the human
response to motion is of interest. Movement in a tall building can have a wide range of human
response, from anxiety to acute nausea. This can make a building undesirable and may produce
difficulties renting floor area. Why it is of importance to not just consider stability issues but also
consider motions. Movements in buildings are commonly generated from wind, earthquakes,
machinery, nearby industrial plants and various types of transportation. It would be expensive to
construct a high-rise building that could withstand all movements. That is why there are various
recommendations regarding accelerations in buildings depending on the occupancy.

13 How basic shapes influence commercial architecture: Blog: Bill Whittaker. Bill Whittaker, Registered Architect. Available
at: https://www.billwarch.com/blog/how-basic-shapes-influence-commercial-architecture/ [Accessed March 20, 2022].
14 Anon, Structural design of high-rise buildings - byggnadsmekanik. Available at:

https://www.byggmek.lth.se/fileadmin/byggnadsmekanik/publications/tvsm5000/web5213.pdf [Accessed March 20,

2022].
d. Building Laws (in the Philippines)
Many of a society's most pressing problems, such as public health and safety and environmental
protection, are addressed through building codes. Building codes also address cost efficiency and
investment value since they are produced through a democratic and deliberate process that
steadily applies changes. Since initial design and construction decisions impact operations and
maintenance expenses for the life of the facility, building codes play a big role in determining its
quality, safety, and energy performance for years to come. While building equipment and other
components can be replaced or upgraded, many aspects of building performance are "built in"
from the start and are too costly and complex to modify. Building codes and design and
construction decisions affect us every day. Some requirements such as fire safety codes and
structural and seismic standards affect us in obvious ways. Others, such as lighting quality,
acoustics and the air we breathe also have major effects on our health and productivity.

Need to consider according to national building code of the Philippines:

• Zoning
• Purpose
• Users
• Height of the building/structure
• Setbacks
• Parking space
• Loading/unloading space

15 Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), Report: The value and impact of building codes. EESI. Available
at: https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/the-value-and-impact-of-building-codes [Accessed March 20, 2022].
16 Antell, J.H., 2021. Fundamentals of high-rise fire safety. International Fire Protection. Available at:

https://ifpmag.mdmpublishing.com/fundamentals-of-high-rise-fire-safety/ [Accessed March 20, 2022].

e. Fire Safety Provisions (according to the Fire Code of the Philippines)
By their nature, high-rise buildings present unique fire-safety challenges. For designers, builders,
operators and owners of these structures, a number of fundamental challenges must be
addressed to provide a reasonable level of safety from fire and its effects.
• The building structure must sustain a prolonged fire exposure.
• Fire and its effects have the potential to spread vertically, affecting a large number of
building occupants.
• Active fire systems may be cut off from public utilities and must be self-sufficient.
• Full building evacuation is very difficult. A ‘Defend in Place’ strategy is required with only
selective evacuation from the Fire Area.
• Occupants that do need to evacuate are far from the ground and must rely on vertical
means of escape.
• Firefighting operations occur internally and often far from the ground-based resources.

According to DILG, Buildings or high-rise establishments must have fire alarm systems, fire
detectors, fire extinguishers, automatic fire sprinklers system (AFSS), among others. They must
also have their own team’s employees or fire brigade to be trained by the fire bureau.

17 Antell, J.H., 2021. Fundamentals of high-rise fire safety. International Fire Protection. Available at:
https://ifpmag.mdmpublishing.com/fundamentals-of-high-rise-fire-safety/ [Accessed March 20, 2022].
18 Dilg to fire bureau: Intensify fire safety inspection on high rise establishments - news. DILG. Available at:

https://dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-to-fire-bureau-Intensify-fire-safety-inspection-on-high-rise-establishments/NC-2017-
1136#:~:text=Buildings%20or%20high%2Drise%20establishments,Supt. [Accessed March 20, 2022].