New Era University

College of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 415C-18 Structural Design of Towers

& Other Vertical Structures
First Semester
SY 2023-2024

Engr. Winfred G. Liwanag II, M. Eng

Department of Civil Engineering
Faculty of College of Engineering and Architecture
New Era University
[email protected]
© August 2023
Chapter 1 – Introduction

New Era
University
 Agenda
Definitions of Tall Building
Historical References
Factors affecting growth, height and structural form
Maximum building height (NBCP)
Types of Tall Building

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Tall Buildings
The sky’s the limit
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 What is a “Tall” Building?
The definition of “tall” for a building is not absolute. It is taken here to mean when the geometry of the
building, for example overall height or height to minimum plan dimension, significantly influences aspects of
the design.

These aspects are:

 structural lateral strength and stiffness;  services distribution;
 vertical transportation;  setting-out and verticality; and
 fire escape;  hoisting of materials

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 What is a “Tall” Building?
 One definition is that if the building aspect ratio, i.e. height divided by least overall lateral dimension, is
more than about 5 then the building may be considered tall.
 In terms of number of stories medium rise may be taken as encompassing buildings from 16 to 30
storeys, high rise from 30 to 60 stories and super high rise above 60 stories.
 From the structural engineer's point of view. However, a tall building may be defined as one that
because of its height, is affected by lateral forces due to wind or earthquake actions to an extent that
they play an important role in the structural design. The influence of these actions must therefore be
considered from the very beginning of the design.

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 HISTORY – Biblical

 A united human race in the generations following the

Great Flood, speaking a single language and
migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar.

 There they agree to build a city and a tower tall

enough to reach heaven.

 God, observing their city and tower, confounds their

speech so that they can no longer understand each
other, and scatters them around the world.

 Tall towers and buildings construction being initially

for defense and subsequently for ecclesiastical
Tower of Babel, by Lucas van Valckenborch, purposes. The growth in modern tall building
1594, Louvre Museum
construction, however, which began in the 1880s, has
been largely for commercial and residential purposes.

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 HISTORY – 1800S
 In the year 1848, a stroll down lower
Broadway in Manhattan would have
revealed a decidedly low-rise town.
 The reason was simple: the only way
to get to the top floor was to climb
the stairs. Humans, unlike birds, do
not have the anatomy to defy gravity.
 As a result, property owners had no
incentive to build taller, since few
would pay to be on higher floors

 In 1852, Elisha Graves Otis built the first ‘fall safe’

hoisting system (the elevator) allowing vertical
transportation of people and goods in multi-storey
buildings.
 This invention made the construction of skyscrapers
possible and as a result greatly altering the way
modern cities were planned and constructed.

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 HISTORY – 1800S
 In 1889, the Eiffel Tower doubled the height
of the previously tallest Washington
Monument, rising above 300 m with the use
of pre-assembled iron components to create
what has since become the iconic landmark
of Paris.
 This new architectural concept at the time
provided a great boost in general confidence
in viability of tall metal structures.

 In 1885, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago (originally 10 stories

and 42 m high) demonstrated the use of the first steel framed gravity
system.
 It was the first tall building to be supported both internally and
externally by a fireproof metal frame, which allowed for large windows
at the ground level of high-rise buildings.

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 HISTORY – 1900S

500

400
Height (m)

300

200

100

0
1930 1931 1972 1974 1998
Year Completed
https://www.ctbuh.org/

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 HISTORY – 2000S
 Burj Khalifa
Completed: 2010
Location: Dubai, UAE
Architectural style: Post-modern futurism/Islamic
Construction: Reinforced concrete
Stories: 163
Height: 2,723 feet / 829.8 meters
Distinction: Tallest building in the world

 Year 2001, the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers of

the World Trade Center as a turning point.
 The tragedy did have a direct impact on
buildings, such as in the areas of fire safety and
escape route design, but it ultimately marked the
transition from one tall building typology to
another.

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 HISTORY – 2000S
 One World Trade Center
Completed: 2014
Location: New York City, USA
Architectural style: Post-modern
Construction: Steel and concrete
Stories: 94
Height: 1,776 feet / 541.3 meters
Distinction: Tallest building in the western hemisphere

 Shanghai Tower
Completed: 2015
Location: Shanghai, China
Architectural style: Post-modern futurism/Chinese
Construction: Concrete core and composite megacolumns
Stories: 128
Height: 2,073 feet / 632 meters
Distinction: 2nd tallest building in the world
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 HISTORY – Over the years. .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings
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 HISTORY – 20?? The Future of Tall

 Jeddah Tower (Kingdom Tower)

Completed (planned): 2018

Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Architectural style: Post-modern futurism/Islamic
Construction: Reinforced concrete
Stories (planned): 167
Height (planned): 3,281 feet / 1,000+ meters

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 Factors affecting growth, height and structural form
The feasibility and desirability of high-rise structures have
always depended on the following:

No. of stories in tallest building

 available materials
 level of construction technology, and
 the state of development of the services necessary for
the use of the building

As a result, significant advances have occurred from time

to time with the advent of a new material. construction Growth in height of the first great era of American skyscrapers.
facility, or form of service.

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 BUILDING HEIGHTS IN THE PH (NBCP)
1. LOW-RISE (from 1 - 5 storeys i.e. 4.0 m to 16.0 m, inclusive
of an average 1.0 m provision for parapet wall or roof apex;
excludes maximum allowance for a 6.0 m tall antenna/ steel
tower on top of the structure;
>60 storey
2. MEDIUM-RISE (from 6 - 15 storeys i.e. 19.0 m to 46.0 m,
inclusive of an average 1.0 m provision for parapet wall or roof
apex; excludes maximum allowance for a 6.0 m tall antenna/
steel tower on top of the structure ;
3. HIGH-RISE (from 16 - 60 storeys i.e. 49.0 m to 181.0 m, 16-60 storey
inclusive of an average 1.0 m provision for parapet wall or roof
apex; excludes maximum allowance for a 6.0 m tall antenna/
steel tower on top Of the structure; and 6-15 storey

1-5 storey
4. VERY TALL BUILDING (SKYSCRAPERS) (taller than 60
storeys i.e. taller than 181.0 m, inclusive of an average 1.0 m
provision for parapet wall or roof apex: excludes maximum
allowance for a 6.0 m tall antenna/ steel tower.

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 MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS (NBCP)
 The Building Height Level or BHL shall be
generally measured from the established
grade line to the topmost portion of
the proposed building/structure.
 BHL excludes the height of
permitted/allowed projections above the
roof of the building/structure, e.g.,
signage, mast, antenna, telecom
tower, beacons and the like.
 Provided, that the height measured from H<3m

the lowest adjoining surface shall not

exceed such maximum height by more than
3.00 meters: Except, that towers, spires,
and steeples, erected as part of a building
and not used for habitation or storage are
limited as to height only by structural
design if completely of incombustible
materials, or may extend not to exceed
6.00 meters above the height limits for
each occupancy group if of combustible
materials. H>3m

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 RELATED DISCIPLINES
 The approach to tall building design and construction should be an integrated one where the need for the
various engineering disciplines to coexist efficiently is recognized from the beginning of the project. This
multi disciplinary approach extends to considerations of how the building will be constructed thus ideally
requires an integrated team including construction and design professionals to be put together at the
earliest stage of the project.
 In order for structural engineers to design tall buildings it is necessary to understand the principles of the
various other disciplines involved e.g. planning requirements, structural, mechanical, electrical and façade
engineering and also designing for construction.
 There are key design considerations in the following disciplines which particularly influence the
construction of high-rise structures:
• Architecture and Planning

• Structural Engineering

• Wind and Dynamic Engineering

• Geotechnical Engineering

• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

• Facade Engineering

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 TYPES OF TALL BUILDINGS
Tall buildings are characterised by lower net to gross floor areas, when compared with low rise buildings, due
to impact of their core on each floor plate. Ownership of the building and its zones will have a major impact
on the structure. There are three generic uses of towers:
 Office Towers: These are characterised by relatively efficient open plan floor plates and a high degree of
repetition driven by commercial pressures.
 Residential Towers: At the luxury end of the market are less efficient than their equivalent of a normal
standard, as they tend to feature comfort cooling. Cross walls are needed and these can be structural.
 Mixed use Towers: Typically this type of towers features different components that are stacked
vertically and may include retail, leisure, residential, offices and hotel. The inherently varied mix of
accommodation has a significant impact on the size of the core, as separate lifts and MEP services are
required for each component. Transfer structures may be required between hotel, residential, office and
car park floors to enable each part to utilise a grid which responds to its function. Such transfer can be
affected at plant floors.

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 Any Questions?

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