EMERGING

STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
AND
SPACE TYPES
STRUCTURE
Its the construction or frame work or skeleton

It gives form, stability, resists load…

Sometimes structure becomes the center of attention and

sometimes it is neglected during the process of building
design.

Is structure , a creator of architectural space ?

The development of modern thinking and formation of “high-tech”
architecture provided a chance for the architects such as

Norman Foster,
Santiago Calatrava,
Renzo Piano,
Michael Hopkins and
Nicholas Grimshaw

to introduce their works with amazing structures to the world.

These architects have merged the structure and space to create

a suitable, identified space for human being through recognition
of structure as a key element in architectural space creating.
• The design of the National Stadium of Beijing known as
the birds nest resembles a giant and consistent shape.

• From a high distance - it is possible to recognize the

circular shape and also the network structure loaded on
the cage.

• From the distance the geometric configuration and wise

selection of lines are visible but as you get closer they
vanish that eventually becomes an apart huge figure.
• The components are like irregular beams and stairs
resembling an artificial forest.
• This space i.e. the space inside the stadium is the main
facade of the building, structure, decoration and a public
space.
EMERGING STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
WITH THE
RAPID DEVELOPMENT
OF
SIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES
AND
MODELING SOFTWARE
 TREE / BRANCHING STRUCTURE
• features the use of tree-like columns for support

Sagrada Familia, Spain

• the column rises from the ground with its full diameter,
like the trunk of a tree, and then starts branching near
the top to extend over a bigger span
• These "columns" gather all the loads passing down
through the branches which are translated into the trunk
and then down to the foundation.

Stuttgart airport, Germany

 • bio-mimicry concept
• light weight structural members

tertiary node

skylight
secondary
node

four attached
tubular poles
(single common node

Umbel system
in actual sense
 Main principle
reducing the mass of structural materials
thereby increasing efficiency.
"lightweight" structure- requires less
SECONDARY
material
UMBEL
(UMBELLET)

MAIN STALK

COMPOUND
UMBEL
IN NATURE
Umbel structures start to split and divide
loads that meet at nodes.
UMBEL
TREE-LIKE SUPPORT BRANCHES HOLDING UP THE ROOF !
WHATS SO UNIQUE?

Column holding such large span in comparison to its footprint at

ground level.

This umbel system creates large unobstructed areas close to the

foundation while providing closely spaced supports at the roof
level.

This is a product of the open-ground concept that can only really be

achieved with "branching" structure systems.
• these columns are used for large spans or double height
spaces

Clemson University College of Architecture – South Carolina, USA

WestendGate – Frankfurt, Germany
The Tote – Mumbai, India
 STACKED-BOX STRUCTURE
This system resembles the idea of stacked boxes.
If you stack boxes on top of each other, with balance in
mind, they will form a standing structure.
In actual buildings, the stacked boxes need extra support
for guaranteed stability. The extra structural support can be
provided by means of a concrete or steel structural core
and skeletal steel frames or cantilevers.

Habitat 67 – Québec, Canada

The Interlace – Singapore
 SHELL STRUCTURE

A shell is a large curved surface with a very slight thickness

in comparison to its length and width.
The shell can be used as a roof for light structures or it can
envelop the structure entirely.
The shell touches the ground at one or more points,
transferring the loads on its surface to the ground through
these points.
Kresge Auditorium – Massachusetts, USA
L’Oceanogràfic – Valencia, Spain
 FOLDING STRUCTURE

Folding structures can be considered a form of shell

structures, but the “shell” is folded instead of curved, like
origami
Folded plates can be used to cover plane surfaces, requiring
less reinforcement than straight horizontal plates.

The inclined folding do the combined jobs of horizontal slabs and

vertical beams in transferring loads to column supports or
directly to the ground.
United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel
– Colorado, USA
Yokohama International Passenger Terminal
– Yokohama, Japan
International Convention and Exposition Centre, China
 BUBBLE STRUCTURE
Wearie-Phelan or bubble sructure is a 3-dimensional
structure that represents an idealized foam of equal-sized
bubbles. It is a structure of equal volumes with minimal
surface area.
The most famous application of this structure system is
Beijing’s iconic Watercube which hosted the swimming and
diving competitions during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Beijing National Aquatics Center / Watercube – Beijing, China

The aquatic center comprises a light steel Weaire–Phelan
space frame structure which gives shape to the air filled
bubbles made of ETFE, a transparent plastic material.

Beijing National Aquatics Center / Watercube – Beijing, China

 TENSILE STRUCTURE
The tensile is structure is composed of elements in a
tension state, instead of compression state.

A simple example of tensile structures is camping tents. The

tent becomes upright and stable when all of its component,
fabric, poles, and ropes, are in perfect tension.
Large scale tensile structures apply the same concept but
with more advanced and treated components to take on
the massive loads and varying environmental conditions.
Millenium Dome – London, United Kingdom
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center – Astana, Kazakhstan
 DEVELOPMENT OF
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
IN
SKYSCRAPERS
Tall buildings emerged in the late nineteenth century in the
United States of America. They constituted a so-called
“American Building Type,” meaning that most important tall
buildings were built in the U.S.A.

WHY?
The distribution of tall buildings has changed radically with
Asia now having the largest share.
Home Insurance Building-
world's first skyscraper
Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper.

The Home Insurance building (1885) in Chicago, (ten

storied with 42 meter in height) is generally referred as the
first high rise building (Architect :William Jenney)
Till mid 1800’s the maximum height for the buildings was
4-6 stories due to several factors:

1.Too many steps to climb up & down daily

2.Masonry wall thickness is too high at base, eating up
floor space
3.Framing could go up so high before become unstable in
wind
1855--- Bessemer Process --- first industrial process ---
mass-production of steel –stronger,lighter and
construction of truly tall buildings.

1857--- Otis Elevator Company ---manufacturing passenger

elevators. Invention of Elevator allowed vertical
transportation of people and goods without stair
The Home Insurance Building was built followed by the
Great Chicago Fire, 1871

• The physical envelope of construction was traditional

load-bearing system.

• Thick masonry external walls creates comfortable indoor

thermal environment .

• Large window and high ceiling was provided to allow the

daylight to the interiors.

• Maximizing the financial return over a fixed plot size,

initiates the development of modern high rise building in
North America during mid-nineteenth century.
 CLASSIFICATION
OF
SKYSCRAPERS
STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS
classified in three types
1. Internal
2. External
3. Hybrid
 INTERNAL STRUCTURAL
SYSTEM

Rigid Frame System Vertical Shear Truss

Frame - Shear Truss System

Frame Tube Braced Tube Tube in Tube
System System System
Bundled Tube
System
EXTERNAL STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
 HYBRID

Diagrid Exoskeleton
Superframe Outrigger
 HYBRID STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

• It is the combination of two or more of basic structural

forms either by direct combination or by adopting
different forms in different parts of the structure.

• It can be used for the buildings of as high as 300m.

• Hybrid system can be used for the construction of

buildings with maximum 150m height in seismic regions