Computerized design of world's tallest building

Abstract

The paper describes the computerized design approach used in the design of the world's tallest building, Sears Tower, currently under construction in Chicago. The structure is 110 stories tall and is based on a framed-modular-tube concept involving 10,000 joints and 21,300 members. The approach is general enough to be used for other major building projects. The formulation of an overall computer utility network to coordinate various phases of design is described in relation to the project schedule. The importance of coordination between an in-house smaller computer and larger outside facilities, from the point of optimizing computer usage and improved design performance, is emphasized. The essentials of computer application extends to preliminary design and optimization of the tower structure, dynamic analysis for wind gusts, formulation of fractional and full building modules for space frame analysis, and automatic post processing including the design of beams and columns, design of beam and column splices, computation of principal and octahedral stresses in beam-column panel zone, and graphic plots of gravity and wind forces. A brief description of each aspect is provided from a structural designer's point of view.