case study of absolute tower
Post on 14-Apr-2018
224 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
1/9
CTBUH
Technical Paperhttp://technicalpapers.ctbuh.org
Subject: Building Case Study; Architecture/Design; Structural Engineering; Construction
Paper Title: Case Study: Absolute World Towers, Mississauga
Author(s): Lagendijk, Bas1
Pignetti, Anthony & Vacilotto, Sergio2
Affi liation(s): 1MAD Architects
2Dominus Construction Group
Publication Date: 2012
Original Publication: CTBUH Journal 2012 Issue IV
Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter
2. Journal paper
3. Conference proceeding
4. Unpublished conference paper
5. Magazine article
6. Unpublished
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat/Author(s
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
2/9
Tall buildings: design, construction and operation | 2012 Issue IV
Inside Canadas Marilyn Towers
Creating an Energy-Producing Skyscraper
Fluid-based Aerodynamic Performance
Ice, Snow and Tall Buildings
Assessing Koreas Technology Potential
Talking Tall with Bjarke Ingels
In Numbers: Canada Rising
Reports: Shanghai Congress & 2012 Awards
CTBUH JournalInternational Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
3/9
Inside | 3CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
The challenges associated with the inherentinconsistency of air ow may open a new way ofthinking about tall buildings as highly adaptive,
dynamic systems capable of responding to the
opportunities and challenges associated with
spatially and temporally uctuating resources.
Menicovich et al., page 18
News and Events
This IssueDennis Poon
CTBUH Trustee
CTBUH LatestAntony Wood
CTBUH Executive Director
Debating Tall:Tall Buildings: A Sustainable
Future for Cities?
Global NewsHighlights from the CTBUH
global news archive
02
04
05
06
Case Study
Absolute World Towers,MississaugaBas Lagendijk, Anthony
Pignetti & Sergio Vacilotto
12
Research
A Diferent Approach to theAerodynamic Perormanceo Tall Buildings
David Menicovich; JasonVollen; Michael Amitay; Chris
Letchford; Edward DeMauro;
Ajith Rao & Anna Dyson
Increasing Problems oFalling Ice and Snow onModern Tall BuildingsMichael Carter & Roman
Stangl
A Proposal to Create anEnergy-Producing Megatallor Kunming, China
Thomas Kraubitz
Assessing PotentialDevelopment in SouthKoreas Supertall BuildingTechnologyPayam Bahrami, David Scott,
Eun-Ho Oh & Young-Ho Lee
18
24
30
36
Features
Tall Buildings in NumbersCanada Rising
Talking Tall: Bjarke Ingels hasBIG Plans or Tall BuildingsBjark Ingels
Design ResearchCTBUH International Student
Design Competition 2012
40
42
46
CTBUH
48
52
55
55
56
57
58
59
Inside
48
24
30
48 | CTBUH 9th World Congress Shanghai CTBUH 9th World Congress Shanghai | 49C TB UH J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V C TB UH J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V
WhenShanghaiViceMayorShenJuntookthe
stagetooffi ciallyopentheCTBUH 9th World
Congress,hequicklysetthetonefor the
issuesthatwoulddominatethenextthree
daysofdiscussionanddebate.Land
resourcesarenotrenewable,Mr.Junsaid.We
havenochoicebuttobuildhighrises tosave
landeffi ciently.Tallbuildings,heemphasized,
mustserveassolutionstoChinaslong-
standingurbanissuesofpollutionand
over-crowding.Itisan urgentandcriticaltask
tomeetthesechallenges.
World Congress Draws Global IndustryLeaders to Address Key Issues
(Left to right) QingWei Kong,Shanghai Tower;Timothy Johnson,CTBUH Chairman;
Shen Jun,Shanghai ViceMayor;Antony Wood,CTBUH ExecutiveDirector;Guo QingLi,Tongji University.CTBUH
ReportbyKevinBrass, CTBUHPublicAairsManager
CTBUH Report: CTBUH 9th World Congress Shanghai
Working GroupsShanghaiprovidedanopportunityforthe
CTBUHsarrayofworkinggroupstogather
andplotstrategyfornewandon-going
projects.Thesessionswhichtookplacethe
daybeforethecongressincludeda
roundtablemeetingofCTBUHleaders,
whichattractedmorethan30active
representativesfromaroundtheworld.The
rousingdiscourseprimarilyfocusedonthe
fledglingcityrepresentativeprogramand
thebestwaystogrowthe Councils
initiativesonagrassrootslevel.
Twooftheworkinggroupstoutedthe
releaseofnewtechnicalguides Outrigger
TheballroomoftheGrandHyattJin Maowas
packedtocapacityfortheopeningceremo-
nies.TheCongresssoldoutweeksbeforethe
opening,with850registereddelegatesfrom
43countriesinattendance,includingmanyof
thetopdevelopers,architects,engineersand
buildingownersfromChinaandaroundthe
world.Wepurposelybroughttogethera
widerangeofexpertiseandviewpoints,
includingthedevelopersthatareleadingthe
tallbuildingboominAsia,saidCTBUH
ExecutiveDirectorAntonyWood.
TheCTBUH9 th WorldCongressclosedto ravereviews, after threedaysof in-depth presentations, livelypanel
discussionsandnetworkingevents.
Asiawasthecenterpieceofthe event,which
wastitled, AsiaAscending:theAgeofthe
SustainableSkyscraperCity,butdiscussions
inevitablyfocusedonissuesaffectingcities
andbuildersaroundtheworld.Fromthe
outset,CTBUHChairmanTimothyJohnson,a
designpartneratNBBJ,challengedthe
audience.Letsfindnewwaystomake
buildingsmoresustainable,hesaid.Letsbe
innovative.Letsfindwaystochangetheway
wethinkoftall buildings.
Attendeesopenlyexchangedideasandtheir
experiences,providingauniqueopportunity
togobehindthescenesat manyofthe
worldsbiggestandmostinnovativeprojects.
Wehopebysharingourexperienceand
insightintothebuildingsystemwewould
makeacontributiontosustainablesupertall
buildingsintheworld,saidQingWeiKong,
ShanghaiTowerChairman,strikingachord
thatwouldresonatethroughouttheevent.
ShanghaiTowersaspirationsgofarbeyondits
height.Thedeveloperswanttomakeitthe
mostsustainablebuildingintheworld,with
greenareasandadesignthatmakesit a
comfortableandeffi cientpartofShanghais
changinglandscape.
Sustainabilityandtheneedto createeffi cient
andwell-organizedprojectsthatintegrate
andenhancetheurbanenvironmentwere
Richard Tomasetti ofThornton Tomasetti,Vincent TseofParsons Brinckerho;RafaelVinly and Tony LongofCBRichard Ellis engaged in thepanel discussion.CTBUH
Traditional dragon dancetroupeperformanceat theopeningceremony.CTBUH
DesignforHighRisesBuildingsreleasedby
theCTBUHOutriggerWorkingGroup,and
NaturalVentilationinHigh-RiseO ce
Buildings,aproductof theCTBUH
SustainabilityWorkingGroup(see
advertorialonpage51.)Theotherworking
groupsBuildingInformationModeling;
Fire&LifeSafety;Research,Academic&
Postgraduate;SeismicDesignandWind
Engineeringfocuseddiscussionson
developingresearchprojectsandthebest
waystosharethelatestinformationintheir
respectivefields.
consistentthemes.Speakersfocusedonthe
complexitiesofdevelopinglargeprojects,
fromenergycostsandprojectmanagement
tothepoliticalinfluenceoniconicprojects.
Weneedtowork togethertofindabalance
betweeniconicdesignandsustainability,said
MehdiJalayerian,executivevicepresidentof
EnvironmentalSystemsDesign,duringa
rousingpaneldiscussionontheopportunities
andbarrierstosustainability.Theyclashat
somepoint.
Delegatessharedinformationanddesignsfor
thelatestprojects,aswellasthe challenges
projectsarefacingaroundtheworld.Over
andoveragain,speakersemphasizedthattall
buildingsarestillayoungtypologyandthe
industryisstillwrestlingwiththeissuesof
creatingeffi cientprojectsthataddressthe
needsoffast-growingcities.
Thisisahugechallengeforus. Itisstillnota
maturebusinessmodelinChina,saidZhaohui
Jia,generalmanageroftheGreenlandGroup,
oneofthelargestdevelopersoftall buildings
inChina.Wearestilltryingto explorethis
businessmodel.
Tallbuildingsstillplayauniqueroleincities,a
pointbroughthomebytheplenarysession
featuringtheowners/developersbehindthe
past,presentandfutureworldstallest
building.Attendees oftheGlobal Leaders workshop.CTBUH
Attendees ofthesold out Congress listen to theDay 2 plenary session presentations.
CTBUH
CTBUH 2012Student Competition winner Alexis DeBosscher;Johannes deJong,KONE;Chris Wilkinson,Wilkinson Eyre.CTBUH
Timothy Johnson issues research seed fundingcheckto winner Dr.Kristen Day,New York University with LiHongyu from sponsor AECOM.CTBUH
Skyscrapers We
purposely broughttogether a wide range
of expertise and
viewpoints, including
the developers that are
leading the tall
building boom in
Asia.
24 | Climateand Environment Climate and Environment | 25C TB U H J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V C TB UH J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V
Background
Troublesomeiceandsnowformationson
buildingsareinnowayanew phenomenon.
Buildingdesignersandownershavelong
struggledwiththevariousaspectsofwinter
precipitation.Thishasledto thedevelopment
ofstandardsandcodestoaddresssuchtopics
aswindloadsandsnowloadsduringbuilding
design.However,theaspectoffalling,sliding
orwindblowniceandsnowfroma buildingis
atopicthathasnotbeen widely
acknowledged,andconsequentlyhas
generatedlittleinthewayof standards,
guidelinesorprescriptivebuildingcode
requirementstoassistdesigners.Inaddressing
concerns,designershavelargelyreliedon
pastexperienceortrialanderrormethodsfor
reducingpotentialrisks.Thelearningprocess
industry-widehasbeenslowornon-existent
duetothereluctantnatureofvariousparties
todiscusserrorsorincidents,forfearof
litigation.Opendiscussionoftheissueswill
acceleratethelearningprocessaroundthe
emergingproblemscreatedbyadvancing
faadeperformanceandtallbuildingdesign.
Modern Towers,New Issues
Thefaadesofsomerecentlycompletedhigh
performancebuildingsareactivelypromoting
hazardousiceandsnowformationsunder
typicalwinterconditions,ratherthanunusual,
severeorinfrequentweatherconditions.This
realizationisunnerving,asmodernhigh
performancebuildingsoftenshowonly
modestorquestionablereductionsinenergy
usage,attimesfallingshortoftheirprediction
models.Furthermore,buildingcodesand
Increasing Problems of Falling Ice and Snowon Modern Tall Buildings
Reportedincidentsof hazardousiceandsnowfalling frombuildingsareon
therise, specificallyfor recentlycompletedtallbuildings. High performance
faadeshaveimprovedinternalthermalperformance, butincreasedthe
conditionsfor formingiceon metalandglassskins. Thispaper shedslighton
theissues, describingthefactorsthat contributeto icingandhazardousice
andsnowformation, andprovidesmethodsto addresstheseissueswithin the
design process.Michael Carter
Table1.BuildingEnvelopeRequirements ASHRAEStandard 90.12004 2010Comparison (Table5.5-4,BuildingEnvelopeRequirements for ClimateZone4-Non-Residential) ASHRAE
Research: Climate and Environment
Roman Stangl
Authors
Michael Carter, Director/ConsultantRoman Stangl, Director/Project Manager
Northern MicroclimateInc.(NMI)
33Water Street N.P.O.Box 277CambridgeOntario N1R 5T8Canada
t:+12264440188f:+12264440183e:roman.stangl@northernmicroclimate.com;
mike.carter@northernmicroclimate.comwww.northernmicroclimate.com
Michael CarterMichael is a director and thelead technical consultantofNorthern MicroclimateInc.,an architecturalconsultingrm that focuses on theprediction,evaluation and mitigation offallingiceand snow.Hehas contributed to publications with theNational InstituteofBuildingSciences,ConstructionSpecications Canada and theInternationalConferenceon Snow Engineering.Recognized as anexpert in his eld,Michael works with architecturaland engineeringrms,focusingon his ability tovisualizeand interpret thecharacteristics ofabuildingdesign within its local micro-climate.
Roman StanglRoman is a director and thelead project managerofNorthern MicroclimateInc.A CTBUH memberwith international experience,hehas been activelymanagingand consultingwithin thedesign andconstruction eld since2005.Roman has contributedto publications with theNational InstituteofBuildingSciences,Construction Specications Canada and theInternational Conferenceon Snow Engineering.
Figure1.Exampleofsnow and icefreezingon visionglass panel.NMI
High performance
faades have improved
internal thermal
performance, but
increased the
conditions for forming
ice on metal and glass
skins
standardshaveshownatrendtowards
increasingtheperformanceofroof,wall,and
glassassemblies,asevidencedbycomparing
ASHRAEStandard90.1betweenthe2004 and
2010versions(seeTable1). Further
exacerbatingtheissueoficeandsnow
formationsonfaadesistheadditionof
variousexteriorelementsintendedtocontrol
solargain,whichultimatelyserveascold
collectionsurfaces.Asa result,reportsof
fallingiceandsnowincidentsfromhigh
performancebuildingsoverthelasttenyears
haveshownanincreaseinthefrequencyand
severityofhazardousiceandsnowformation.
Althoughformalrecordsoffallingiceand
snowincidentreportsdonotyetexist,this
trendhasbeenidentifiedthrougharecordof
mediaaccountsandprojectexperience.New
reportsinthelasttwoyearshavedetailed
dozensoffalling,slidingorwindblowniceand
snowincidentsinNorthAmericaalone,
includingsuchbuildingsastheDuke Energy
BuildinginCharlotteandtheNewYorkTimes
BuildinginNewYork.
Manyoftheeventsinvestigatedbythe
authorshavenotbeenfoundtobe causedby
asingleinfluencingfactor,butratherbyalist
offactorsthattendtohave acumulative
effect.True,therearesituationswhereasingle
designfeature,suchasawindowsill/mullion
configurationora solarshadedevice,hashad
asignificantimpactontheformationof
hazardousiceandsnow.However,overthe
courseofnumerousbuildinginvestigations,
whichincludesmultiplecoldroomlaboratory
testsconductedincollaborationwiththeU.S.
ArmyColdRegionsResearchandEngineering
Laboratory(CRREL),thisisfoundtobethe
exceptionratherthantherulewhenitcomes
tonewlycompletedhighperformance
buildings.
Inthesimplestofexplanations,thecurrently
achievedreductionsinheatlossfrommany
buildingsinteriorsarepromotinganincrease
inpotentiallydangerousiceandsnow
formations.Asinsulationvalues,glass
technology,andbuildingsystemsprogressin
thefuturetoconserveenergy,the
correspondingfurtherreductionsinheatloss
throughthefaadewillonlyincreasethe
probabilityofhazardousiceandsnow
formationandrelease,creatingsignificant
challengesforbuildingdesigners,ownersand
operators,withfurtherimpactstopublic
safety.Consequently,investigationand
researchintothecausesoftheseissuesis
neededandisongoing.However,atthistime
empiricaldataand/ordetailedcasestudies
havenotbeendevelopeddueto the
reluctanceofbuildingownersanddesigners
todiscusstheirchallengesopenly.
Thefollowingcaseexamplesarebasedon
interviewswithbuildingownersand
operatorsofrecentlycompletedbuildings,
combinedwithreviewsofincidentandcold
roomtestreports.Thecasesrevealinteresting
datathatinitiallyseemedcounterintuitive,
butcanbeexplainedwhenthe individual
designdetailsareinvestigated.
CaseExample1
BuildingType:Tall,HighPerformance
Location:NortheasternUnitedStates
Inthisexample (seeFigure1), observationsof
icesheetswerereportedtoform inthecenter
ofverticalvisionglassofarecentlycompleted
building,andwouldsubsequentlyreleaseand
falltothebusystreetbelow.Thisreport was
takenwithsomeskepticismasheatloss
characteristicsofatraditionalwindowand
framerelationshipcallfortheexteriorskin
temperatureofthecenterofthe windowto
bethewarmestlocation,sinceitis the
furthestfromtheinfluenceofthe framethat
wouldtypicallyhavetheadvantageof
insulationorathermallybrokenprofile.
However,inthisparticularcasethelarge
insulatedglasspanelsofferedanimproved
thermalperformanceovertraditionalglass
andtherewasnospandrelpanel,onlya
minimalisticmetalframe.Thus,theglass
panelswerethemainresistivecomponentof
theassembly,promotingicetoformdirectly
inthecenter(thecoldestlocation)ofvertical
visionglasspanels.Thekeypointtothis
exampleisthefactthat theprofileofthe
assemblyisproducingskintemperaturesthat
alignwithexteriortemperaturesduringmore
typicalwinterprecipitationevents,thereby
promotinganincreaseinfrequencyand
severityoficingovermoretraditionalwall
assemblies.Tobeclear,therelationship
betweenglassandframeisnot thesole
cause,butlikelyatippingpointforthis
particularexample.Otherinfluencingfactors
couldinclude:themovetomoreeffi cient
withunderfloordisplacementventilation
systems,theheatlosscharacteristicsofthe
wholefaadeasasystem,andex ternalfactors
suchaselevation,buildinggeometryand
orientationtoprevailingweather.Overall,this
examplerevealsthatasimprovementsin
buildingperformancearemade,andexterior
skintemperaturesarereducedorata
minimummodified,thereisopportunityfor
hazardousiceandsnowformationstooccur
indifferentmannersandamounts.
CaseExample2BuildingType:Tall,HighPerformance
Location:MidwestUnitedStates
Thesecondexample (seeFigure2) alsodeals
withtherelationshipbetweenglassand
frame.Howeverinthiscasethefocusis onice
andsnowformationsthataccumulateon
windowsillsormullioncapsatthebaseof
visionpanels.Inthisexample,significantice
formationswereconsistentlyformingatthe
edgeofmullioncapsandfalling.Historically,
sillsormullioncapsofarelativelysmall
dimensionwerenotpronetohazardousice
formations,asheatlossthroughthecurtain
wallsystemwouldcreatesuffi cientmeltingto
avoidsignificanticeformations.However,
2004 2010 % Change
O p aq u e El e m en t s I n su l at i o nM i n. R - Va l ue I n su l at i o n Mi n . R - Va l ue
Ro of (I nsulatio n entirel y above deck) R-15 R-20 33%
Wall above grade (mass) R-5.7 R-9.5 67%
Steel-framed walls R-13 R-13 +R-7.5 Cont. 58%
F ene st ra ti on A ss em bl y M ax . U A ss em bl y M ax. U
Vert ical gl azing 0%40% of wall U-0.57 U-0.50 14%
30 | Energy Energy | 31C TB UH J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V C TB UH J ou rn al | 20 12 I ss ue I V
TheConcept
CurrentenergyprovisionsystemsinChinaareheavilybasedonexhaustiblefuelssuchas
coal,hydrocarbons,anduranium.TofulfillChinascommitmenttoreducecarbondioxideemissionsperunitofGDPby 40to50%by2020, newsystemstoreducethe
influenceontheenvironmentmustbeconsidered.Citiesareturningtotallbuildingstoaddresstheneedforspacein urbansettings,wherelittlenewlandisavailable,but
skyscrapersaretypicallybigenergyconsumers.Theyalsotendtobeineffi cient,duetothespaceneeded forvertical
circulation.Thehigherthebuilding,themoreliftsandverticalinfrastructureneeded,limiting
theamountofusablefloorspace.
TheKrafthauscansimultaneouslyaddressChinasneedformorespaceandcleanenergy(seeFigure1).Theconceptcombinesa750-meter-tallsolarupdrafttowersome-
timescalledasolarchimneyorsimplyasolartowerandaclimateresponsivetallbuilding.Attheheartof theKrafthausisasolarthermal
powerplantutilizingacombinationofasolaraircollectorandthecentralupdrafttubetogenerateasolarinducedconvectiveflow,whichdrivespressurestagedturbinesto
produceelectricity.
Thissolarfacilityislinkedwithamulti-programmaticverticaltowerreachingup215
floors.Thetowercanoffergardens,shopping,leisure,entertainment,andculturalfacilities,inadditiontooffi cesandapartmentsa
completeverticalcity.The70-meter-widesolartubeatthecoreof theKrafthausallows
Chinasfast-growingurban population andneedfor sustainableenergysourcesrequire alternativedevelopment ideas. TheKrafthaus, whichcombinesan energy-producing solar tower with an environmentally-responsive, 215-storybuilding, isoneid ea under consideration to addresstheissuesfacingChinascities. Thebuilding hasinstalled power capacityabout30
MWof electricity. With onlya portion usedbythe building, thebulkof theenergywouldbefedinto thelocalgrid.ThomasKraubitz
Author
ThomasKraubitz,Senior Consultant
Happold Ingenieurbro GmbH (Buro Happold)Pfalzburger Str.43-4410717 BerlinGermany
t:+49308609063146f:+493086090666e:thomas.kraubitz@burohappold.comwww.burohappold.com
ThomasKraubitzThomas has been workingin theeld ofsustainableplanningand design for over ten years and hasdeveloped a holistic view ofbuildings and theurbancontext.Hehasworkedin dierent climatic zones inconsulting,project management,urban planning,urban design and architecturefor Stefan Behnisch,Ken Yeang,and Rem Koolhaas,amongst others.Asa Fulbright Scholar hewas a Teaching and ResearchAssistant at Harvard University from 20072009.Since2012heis also a studio critic at theTechnicalUniversity Berlin.
Figure1.TheKrafthaus,Kunming.Thomas Kraubitz
Research: Energy
A Proposal to Create an Energy-ProducingMegatall for Kunming, China
liftsandinfrastructuretobeplacedinsidethe
concretetube.Oneachfloor thereisahorizontalinstallmentareaforbuildingservicesandtechnicalequipment150meters
longwhichallowsanopenspaceanda veryflexiblefloorplan.aswellaseasyaccess formaintenanceorreplacementwithouttakingupvaluablerentablespace.
TheKrafthausformofgeneratingenergyissimple,reliable,accessible,andbasedon
renewablematerials.TheprincipleofthesystemwasfirstdescribedbyIsidoroCabanyesin1903andwasrevisitedinthe late1970sbyMichaelSimonandJoerg Schlaich.
Theysuccessfullydemonstratedtheconceptin1982ina smalltestinginstallationinManzanares,Spain.Combiningthesystemwithatallbuildingis,however,anew
approach.
Inordertorealizethepotentialofthe
Krafthauslinkedwithatallbuilding,itisessentialtofirststudyacommercialsolarupdrafttowerinoperationtogaintechnicalandfinancialinputfortheproject.Thesolar
towertestingfacilityinManzanaresprovidedvaluableinformation;howeveritwaslimitedbyitsheightof only195metersandmaximumpoweroutputof50kW. The
researchoperationwastoosmalltocollectdataoncommercialenergyproduction.Withalargerchimneyheightthepressure
differencesincreasethestackeffectandahigherpoweroutputispossible.
In2010,a solarchimneyplantstarted
operationinJinshawan,WuhaiCity,InnerMongolia,China.The200-kilowattpowergeneratingunitcansupply400,000kWhofelectricityperyear,savingtheequivalentof
100tonsofcoal and900tonsofwater,
Kunming
Jinshawan,Wuhai
Figure2.Kunmingannual averageglobal radiation overlay.Schlaich Bergermann Solar
Aconventional solar
updraft power station
consumes several
hundred hectares of
land, if it is designed to
generate as much
electricity produced by
modern power stations
using conventional
technology
comparedwiththermalpowergeneration.TheRMB1.38billion(US$208million)projectcallsforafullfacilitycovering277 hectarestoproduceacomparableoutputof27.5MW by
2013.Butonlydatafrom prolongedoperationwillallowforajudgementontheperfor-manceofthepowerplantand itspotentialasrealestateproperty.Sofaronlylimited
informationonitsexistenceandoperationisavailableandstillhastobeverified.
FindingtheIdeal Location
Aconventionalsolarupdraftpowerstation
consumesseveralhundredhectaresofland,ifitisdesignedtogenerateasmuchelectricityproducedbymodernpowerstationsusingconventionaltechnology,suchasfossilfuels
ornuclearenergy.Untilrecently,mostdiscussionsofKrafthaushavefocusedonhotareaswherelargeamountsofverylow-value
landisavailable,suchasdeserts.Butthelimitednumberofconsumersandhighinfrastructureandtransportcostsinthoseperiodshavemadeiteconomically
impractical.
Oneofthemost importantaspectsforplanningandrunningasolarpowerplantis
globalradiation.Atfirst itmayseemthat areas
withahighairtemperaturearemostsuitable
butradiationweakeningcomponentsoftheatmosphere-suchasclouds,aerosolsandwatervapourneedtobeconsideredaswell
fortherightlocationforasolarupdrafttower.OnlybyevaluatingMeteotest/Meteonormsatellitedata,whichincludesthesolarweakeningcomponentsthatreducetheW/
mheatgainonsurface,an informeddecisionforthemosteffectivelocationbemade.Veryimportantisalsoahighpossibletemperaturedifferencebetweendayandnighttoallowa
steadyoperationoftheupdrafttowerthatcansafeheatduringtheday inwaterpacksandreleasesitatnight.
InChina,theYunnanProvinceoffersmanyele-
mentsnecessaryforthesolarupdrafttower
withupto220240W/m 2 ofAnnualAverageGlobalRadiation.ThesiteofthechimneyplantinJinshawan,WuhaiCity,hasavalueof
just180220W/m2 andamuchsmaller
population(400,000people),whichmeanshigherinfrastructurecostsdueto thedistancetoconsumers.
Afteroverlayingsolarradiationmapsandthestudyofpopulationmaps (seeFigure2), theCityofKunming,YunnanProvince,was
identifiedasanidealsiteforthisconceptandpreliminarydiscussionshavetakenplaceontheconceptwithlocalplanningauthorities.Solarradiationalreadyplaysa largerolein
Kunming,with60to70% ofitswarmwaterprovidedbysolar-thermalenergy.ThepopulationofKunmingprefecturestoodat6.4millionin2010andit isexpectedtogrow
tobecomethelargestmetropolisoftheregion.ThestrongeconomyoftheGreatKunmingArea(GKA)largelydependson
tourismandagriculture,withlimitedspaceduetoitshillsandmountains.Thecity,oftencalledSpringCity,hasalsoreceivedattentionforitsproximitytotheemergingbusiness
opportunitieswithAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)members,especiallyVietnam.Thespecificclimaticconditionsallowseveralharvestsayearandits
picturesquesettingmakesitanationalandinternationaltouristdestination.Atthesametimethemostsuitableareasfordevelopment
aretheprimefarmlandsonthelakeshoreofferingvaluableviewsfornewhousing
9thWorld Congress ShanghaiReport
Kevin Brass
CTBUH 2012 Awards OverviewKevin Brass
CTBUH on the RoadCTBUH events around the
world
DiaryUpcoming tall building events
ReviewsReview of new books in the
CTBUH Library
CommentsFeedback on past journal
issues
Meet the CTBUHJavier Quintana de Ua
CTBUH OrganizationalStructure & Member Listings
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
4/9
12 | Absolute World Towers, Mississauga CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
Shapely Pair of Towers Challenges the Status Quo
Anthony Pignetti
Case Study: Absolute World Towers, Mississauga
Dubbed the Marilyn Monroe towers, the CTBUH 2012 Best Tall Building
Americas award-winning project is the result o a unique public-private
partnership and an international design competition, which chose a new
Chinese irm doing its irst work in North America. The innovative design,
however, created an array o issues or the builders.
Like other suburbs in North America, the
Toronto satellite community o Mississauga is
quickly developing into an interdependent,
urbanized area. Canadas sixth largest and
astest-growing major city, Mississauga has a
diverse economy and multicultural character,
as well as a new-ound status as an important
city center in the Greater Toronto area (GTA).
However, its rapid development into an
urbanized center has been at the expense o a
unique cityscape character.
The redevelopment o a major downtown
intersection was seen as an opportunity to
redene Mississaugas urban landscape
through an innovative public-private
partnership and internationally recognized
architectural design. The project had to add
something naturalistic and human to contrast
with the existing backdrop o listless boxy
buildings.
The winning design obeys many o the rules
o the typical North-American high-rise: a
central core, a straightorward and economic
Authors
Bas Lagendijk, Strategy Executive
MAD Architects3rd Fl. West Tower7 Banqiao Nanxiang, BeixinqiaoBeijing 100007, China
t: +86 10 6402 6632, : +86 10 6402 3940e: press@i-mad.com, www.i-mad.com
Anthony Pignetti, Vice Presidento ConstructionSergio Vacilotto, Director o Site Operations
Dominus Construction Group
7777 Keele Street, Suite 216Concord, Ontario L4K 1Y7, Canada
t: +1 905 669 2200, : +1 905 669 8867ino@dominus.ca, www.dominus.ca
Bas Lagendijk
Bas Lagendijk deals with communication inArchitecture at MAD. As a strategic thinker he inormson the potential o Architecture and communicatesbetween clients, collaborators, governments,constructors and the general public.
Educated in Interior Architecture, Inormation Tech-nology and Graphic Design, he previously worked atOMA, where he was involved in many contemporaryissues ranging rom buildings to large scale sustain-ability issues such as Zeekracht, Roadmap 2050, WestKowloon Cultural District and the Venice Biennale.
Anthony Pignetti & Sergio Vacilotto
Dominus Construction Group is a ull serviceconstruction rm in the Greater Toronto Area. Draw-ing on the extensive industry expertise o seniormanagement team members, Anthony Pignetti andSergio Vacilotto, Dominus has distinguished itselwithin the industry as a new brand o builder ocusedon innovation and unique orms o partnership.
Dominus has earned a reputation or deliveringprojects unprecedented in engineering and technicalcomplexity such as L-Tower, constructed atop oTorontos renowned Sony Centre or the PerormingArts, in addition to the Absolute World Towers CTBUH 2012 Best Tall Building or the Americas.
Sergio Vacilotto
Bas Lagendijk structure and a glass aade. However, the
outcome is undamentally dierent in the
perception o the people. By the time o
completion the result was recognized by the
public and news accounts as an inspiring
place to live, something more than a place
that strives or simple eciency. The buildings
hope to provide residents with an emotional
connection to their hometown and neigh-
bors, and a local landmark to dene the city.
A Risky Development Plan
The developers o the site, Fernbrook Homes
and Cityzen Development Group, were
determined to tackle the lack o a unique
character when they set out to redevelop the
intersection in Mississaugas downtown core.
It was determined that the best use or this
important property would be a residential
development. The entire project includes a
master-planned community o ve towers
with more than 158,000 square meters, 1,850
residential units, a three-story 3,252-square
meter recreation area, and retail acilities.
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
5/9
Absolute World Towers, Mississauga | 13CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
Figure 1. The Towers created a new skyline or the City. Tom Arban Figure 2. Absolute World Towers, Mississauga. Tom
Arban
In a break rom industry tradition, Fernbrook
and Cityzen sponsored an international
competition to nd an iconic design that
would realize their vision. This was the rst
such design competition that the GTA hadseen in more than 40 years and the Mayor
and City embraced the opportunity with
great enthusiasm.
Due to the prominence o the location, the
City had a special interest in the
redevelopment initiative. They were an active
partner in shaping and realizing the
development vision. In a unique spirit o
partnership, the City was invited to participate
on the judging panel or the project. The City
and its residents were part o the decision-
making process and helped identiy the
winning proposal. The City also worked
closely with the developer throughout the
construction process to manage many o the
unique challenges associated with
implementing the unprecedented eatures o
the successul design. The public sense o
ownership that dened this undertaking rom
its inception helped bring the project to
realization.
The response to the competition ar exceeded
expectations. More than 600 expressions o
interest were registered and 92 submissions
received, producing an array o unique and
inspiring architectural designs rom a global
pool o talent.
The winning design rom Ma Yansong o MAD
Architects clearly captured the publics
imagination. The design helped create a
strong partnership between the City and the
developers, the architects, the contractor and
the engineers. MADs design stood out or its
ability to oer a sharp contrast to the existinglandscape o traditional rectangular buildings
that had come to dene Mississauga (see
Figure 1), addressing one o the primary goals
o the City and the developer.
A Distinct Shape
Winning the competition generated
enormous public interest internationally, but
was particularly noteworthy in China, where
MAD became the rst Chinese architecture
oce to build a signicant high-rise project
abroad. Suddenly a young architect rom
mainland China was given an international
platorm to showcase new ideas and design
philosophy. This also oered Chinese
developers a new appreciation or the
potential o their domestic talent.
Fondly dubbed the Marilyn by local residents
in homage to the curvaceous appeal o
Marilyn Monroe, the Absolute World Towers
parallel the twisting fuidity o natural lines
ound in lie (see Figure 2). The fowing orm
oers an organic punctuation in the
landscape and challenges the prevalence o
commonplace development in the area.
The architects ambition to provide each
resident a unique experience o the city
resulted in two towers that have continuous
The towers fowing
form offers an organicpunctuation in the
landscape and
challenges the
prevalence of
commonplace
development in the
area.
balconies which widen individual viewing
angles and promote community at the micro
scale o a single foor. At the macro level, the
cadence o the foors rising into the sky echo
the modular rhythms o the human
experience, while suggesting the movement
o an adoring gure. Critics have praised the
designs ability to create a structure that
constantly seems to change, depending on
the vantage point. The design illustrates that
the human spirit eels more connected to a
building that oers privacy while still
promoting human interaction.
The design brie presented or the
competition calling or a single tower was
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
6/9
14 | Absolute World Towers, Mississauga CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
Figure 3. Typical oor plans o the Absolute World 56. MAD
Figure 4. The towers rotation diference. PERI Figure 5. Typical structural conguration. MAD
straightorward, with restrictions limited only
to the amount and size o units. This allowed
the competing designers ull expression andfexibility.
Eschewing the tradition o accentuated
verticality in high-rises, MADs design or the
Absolute World Towers chose not to
emphasize vertical lines. Instead, the design
eatures smooth, unbroken balconies that
wrap each foor o the building. In addition, at
each successive level, the foor plate rotates in
a range o one to eight degrees aording
panoramas o the Mississauga skyline (see
Figure 3). By maximizing the viewing
potentials both inside and outside the
buildings, the design created a medium or
social interaction throughout the balconies
and connected the city dwellers with
naturalistic design principles.
Building an Idea
Many observers questioned whether the MAD
design could actually be built. The unique
eatures o this type o rotating structure had
never beore been subjected to Ontario
building code requirements and there was no
precedent or the construction challenges.
From the outset, local architectural and
engineering rms were engaged to rene the
design and ensure it would meet all local
standards without compromising the initial
design intent. While the lead time or most
projects was normally three to our months
beore excavation was scheduled to
commence, in the case o Absolute World, thepreparatory period was extended to 12
months. This type o extensive pre-planning
ensured the project was kept on schedule by
anticipating potential issues.
While consultants always play a major role in
the construction o any project, in this case
their role was even more signicant. The
rotating design meant that every foor was
unique. Meeting these challenges required
extensive collaboration among all the
construction disciplines throughout the
process.
In addition, there was some initial concern
that the unique layouts would limit the ability
to market and sell residential units in the
tower. However, the interest generated by the
competition and the publics participation in
the nal selection helped the developers
easily sell out the apartments in a ew days.
The developer had taken a signicant gamble
in committing to deliver a design developed
out o a competition, but the results provided
evidence that design does matter in the
Ground Level, -10 Level 40, 159Level 24, 42
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
7/9
Absolute World Towers, Mississauga | 15CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
marketplace and a unique design can sell at a
premium.
Given the initial response, the developer
requested that the architect produce a designor a second tower. Ma Yansong was adamant
that a second tower should be
complimentary, but not a duplicate o the rst
tower. The second buildings design used the
same technique o rotating foor plates, but
eatured dierent angles to create a dierent,
but related orm (see Figure 4).
The rst and tallest tower starts to twist rom
below and increases its rotation initially by 1
degree to a maximum o 8 degrees rotation
per foor or a total cumulative foor plate
rotation o 209 degrees. The buildings vertical
middle section, or its hip, represents the
maximum eight degree rotation. For the
second tower, the rotation was 4 degrees or
every foor or a total cumulative foor plate
rotation o 200 degrees.
While the two towers look similar, they are
very dierent. In addition to dierent angle
rotations, the buildings also have dierent
aade treatments. While the rst tower is
more transparent, the second tower is more
opaque. This distinguishes the two towers
and allows them to seem to interact with
each other.
The addition o a second building actually
strengthened the original concept. As the
architect observed, a single tower could have
been viewed as a sculptural piece, but the
addition o a second tower transormed the
development into a true urban space.
An Economy o Structure
The torsional orm o the towers is
underpinned with a surprisingly simple and
inexpensive structural solution. The tworesidential towers are supported by a grid o
concrete load-bearing walls. The bearing walls
extend and contract in response to the
sectional fuctuation created by the rotation
o the foors (see Figure 5), while the balconies
consist o cantilevered concrete slabs. In order
to ensure the elegant edge proles are as thin
as possible, there is a thermal break in the
slabs at the exterior glazing, so that the
insulation need not wrap the entirety o the
balconies. Meanwhile, the dynamically fuid
shaping o the towers, naturally aerodynamic,
adeptly handles wind loading and ensures
comort throughout all the balconies. In
addition to providing every resident with a
livable exterior place to enjoy views o
Mississauga, the balconies also naturally
shade the interior rom the higher angle
summer sun while soaking in the lower angle
winter sun, reducing air conditioning costs
(see Figure 6).
For the construction team, Absolute Worlds
creative architectural design resulted in a
number o construction challenges and
opportunities or innovation. The design
presented complex issues involving thermal
transer, orming and concrete usage.
Innovative construction solutions and
engineering design were required to realize
the vision and achieve results within budget
and on schedule.
A key eature o the buildings design is the
presence o continuous wrapping balconies
on every foor (see Figure 7). The balconies are
also an integrated part o the curved and
rotating design o the overall structure. Thisgroundbreaking design presented unique
challenges relating to the transer o cold and
heat, both horizontally and vertically. While
balconies can create thermal challenges in
traditionally shaped structures, in the
Absolute World the curved and rotating
design o the building compounded the
challenges.
The horizontal thermal transer concerns
required a break in the concrete slabs that
would still accommodate the unique design
eatures. The rotating foor plates also caused
additional vertical thermal transer issues. As
the foor plates rotated, the window lines did
not align as in traditional building structuresand this created another set o transer issues.
A number o potential solutions were
considered but dismissed or being
excessively costly or risking construction
delays. The team was also not prepared to
consider a solution that would compromise
the balcony eature or any o the suites.
The solution was eventually ound in an
innovative two-pronged approach: thermal
breaks were utilized to minimize the
horizontal thermal transer, and an internal
bulkhead, along with an external insulated
sot, was utilized to minimize the vertical
thermal transer. The thermal breaks were
ormed in such a way that it allowed or
sections in the slab up to 50 millimeters in
width and varying lengths up to 1,200
millimeters. The void that resulted rom this
approach was later nished with re stopping
smoke seal and waterproong.
In implementing these solutions, The
construction company, Dominus, developed a
new and innovative proprietary process. Not
Figure 6. Typical balcony conguration. MAD
Winter Sun
Summer Sun
Wonderful Views
Cool Breeze
Figure 7. The continuous wrapping balconies with
rotating oor plates. Tom Arban
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
8/9
16 | Absolute World Towers, Mississauga CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
Figure 8. Rail climbing system (RCS) on Absolute World
56. PERI
The solution was
eventually found in aninnovative two-
pronged approach:
thermal breaks were
utilized to minimize
the horizontal thermal
transfer and an internal
bulkhead, along withan external insulated
soft, was utilized to
minimize the vertical
thermal transfer.
only were transer issues minimized to within
acceptable levels, but the integrity o the
original design was protected.
The unique design properties o the building
also required an innovative concrete orming
method. Traditional fy tables were not
appropriate or this construction because they
would have resulted in large unsupported
panels when the rotation o the foor plate
was more than two degrees. The ormwork
partner, Premorm, needed to develop a new
orming method that would allow or
conguration changes, while maintaining
structural integrity. This had to be
accomplished without compromising saety.
PERI had never beore designed a system that
was required to climb and also move in
relation to a varying rotation.
Premorms solution teamed two main
eatures an EFCO climbing elevator
ormwork system and a modied Peris
SKYDECK drop head system with a modied
rail climbing system (RCS) (see Figures 8 and
9). The climbing elevator ormwork system
contributed to project eciency and allowed
or aster turnaround on the main central core
o the building, avoiding schedule delays. The
modied SKYDECK provided the ability to
orm the constantly changing foor plate by
allowing panels to be carried out immediately
ater the slab concrete reached the required
strength (see Figure 10). This revolving process
permitted panels to be used immediately or
the next cycle and created eciencies.
Since the SKYDECK system is not traditionally
used above grade, a specialized enclosure
system was required around the ormwork to
ensure saety. A modied RCS system worked
in conjunction with the SKYDECK system. The
enclosure simplied the heating requirements
or the concrete slabs during winter pours as
it enclosed two foors below the deck
currently under construction. The result was
Figure 10. SKYDECK slab ormwork. PERI
Figure 9. Trapezoidal RCS panels on Absolute World
50 are installed on an inclined angle o 21 26.
The mobile hydraulic system moves RCS panels
independent o crane. PERI
Figure 11. Heavy structural reinorcement at tower base. Dominus
-
7/29/2019 case study of absolute tower
9/9
Absolute World Towers, Mississauga | 17CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue IV
Absolute World Towers Project Data
Location:Hurontario St. & Burnhamthorpe Rd
Building Function: Residential
Absolute World 56
Height to Architectural Top: 176m
Stories: 56
TotalArea: 45,000 m2
Total Cumulative Floor Plate Rotation: 209
min. 1 to a max. o 8 rotation per foor
Absolute World 50
Height to Architectural Top: 158 m
Stories: 50
TotalArea: 40,000 m2
Total Cumulative Floor Plate Rotation: 200
(consistent 4 rotation per foor)
Owners/Developers:
Fernbrook Homes & Cityzen Development
Group
DesignArchitect: MAD
Architect o Record: Burka Architects
Structural Engineer:
Sigmund Soudack & Associates Ltd.
MEP Engineer: ECE Group Ltd.; Stantec
Concrete Engineer: Coey Geotechnics
Contractor: Dominus Construction Group
Forming Contractor: Premorm
Material Suppliers: Innocon; Gilbert Steel Ltd
Landscape Architect: NAK Design
Interior Designer: ESQAPE Design
greater eciency and ewer lost days due to
weather constraints.
Through these innovations, the construction
team was able to achieve a cycle time romfoor to foor that could match those o
traditional systems or conventional building
designs.
Concrete Considerations
The last major innovation in the construction
o this building related to the use o the
concrete. Although the building was unique
in its design, it was still required to meet all
structural requirements or a residential
condominium, creating another set o
challenges.
First, the traditional concentric loading o
columns was not appropriate or the unique
design o the building. The structural
engineer, Sigmund Soudack and Associates,
was presented with the challenge o nding
an alternative that utilized sucient rebar and
concrete while still allowing or livable spaces.
The nal structural design included heavy
reinorcement at the bottom o the tower (see
Figure 11) using 35M bars. However, this
design did not allow or use o traditional
methods to consolidate the concrete. The
nal concrete specication called or 70 Mpa
columns, walls and beams; and 50 Mpa slabs.
While this addressed some o the structural
concerns, the concrete was still required to
meet unctionality considerations and ensure
ormability and nal nish o the fooring. This
represented the second major challenge. The
concrete supplier, Innocon, had to identiy a
product that could meet the need or high
volume, accurate consistency,accommodation o a tight construction
schedule, reliability in a ull cycle o seasons,
and unctional workability on foor slabs. The
concrete supplier recommended the use o
sel-consolidating concrete. This product was
capable o meeting all the requirements or
the columns and walls and could be used in a
special mix or the slabs. The product also
oered the added benet o increased
eciency by requiring ewer workers and
minimizing the risk o worker crowding. The
construction schedule spanned over a ull
cycle o seasons and special methods were
utilized to ensure sucient heating in thewinter and cooling in the summer to allow
the concrete to properly cure.
For the columns and walls the sel-
consolidating concrete perormed
exceptionally well. The specied mix designs
called or an ultimate strength o 70 MPa in 90
days. Testing demonstrated that these levels
were achieved in only 28 days. The concrete
perormed at rates much higher than
expected. The products perormance
required the concrete nishers to adapt to an
accelerated schedule because the concrete
reached a nished state more rapidly than
traditionally expected.
Dominus opted or the use o concrete
pumps to alleviate unnecessary crane usage
and hoisted concrete with the traditional
bucket method. For the columns, builders
preabricated many o the column supports in
a staging area and then hoisted them into
place. These techniques contributed to speed
and eciency in the construction cycle.
A New Urbanism
The end result o the process created a new
orm o urbanism based on partnership and
innovation. All aspects o the Absolute World
Towers project challenged the boundaries o
conventional industry norms and practices.
The initial design competition allowed
dynamic new ideas and design philosophies
to come orward. The engagement o the City
contributed to shaping and realizing the
developments vision, consistent with theCitys own aspirations. The resulting
architectural design broke ree rom
conventional thinking and introduced a
natural orm back into the citys (sub)urban
experience, made possible by a series o
design and construction innovations. The
result is a distinct type o urbanism and a
curvy new shape or uture cities.
The Absolute Towers
stretch the limits of paired
sculptural form to create a
marker on the skyline for a
regional center.
Richard Cook, CTBUH 2012 Awards Chair /
Cook+Fox Architects.
THEY SAID
Note: More detailed information on Absolute
World Towers as the CTBUH Best Tall Building
Americas 2012 can be found in Best Tall
Buildings 2012, which can be purchased online
at CTBUH Webshop: https://store.ctbuh.org
top related