Building Design Guidelines Research Articles

Murrah Building Bombing Revisited: A Qualitative Assessment of Blast Damage and Collapse Patterns

On April 19, 1995, a truck loaded with an ammonium nitrate and fuel oil bomb caused collapse of fully half of the total floor area of the nine-story, reinforced concrete Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The extent of the collapse, which extended well beyond the zone of direct structural blast damage, prompted studies of progressive/disproportionate collapse and development of new design guidelines for important buildings. While there is no question that the collapse was the result of the loss of only four columns, there is a common belief that direct blast effects destroyed three of those columns. Firsthand observation of debris, collapse patterns, damage patterns, and thousands of photographs taken during search and rescue activities at the building suggest the possibility that only one column was destroyed by direct blast effects, while the other three buckled due to loss of lateral support provided by beams and floor diaphragms that were destroyed by the blast. While the distinction may be subtle, it has significant implications for the design of tougher buildings. Specific lessons include ductile detailing, the necessity of maintaining the integrity of a three-dimensional frame, and explicit consideration of structural fuses to protect critical elements.

AN ITERATIVE ASSESSMENT CONCEPT FOR BUILDING DESIGN BASED ON THE ECO‐FACTOR

Problems in office buildings are often related to the design and control of the indoor environment and of the building as an energy system. The often interconnected nature of the above two issues is important to take into account, since, for instance, internal and external heat loads, temperatures, and air change rates affect both energy use and indoor comfort. Thus, to avoid the indoor climate problems, it is essential that energy optimisation is integrated with assessment of indoor climate. An assessment concept based on the so‐called Eco‐factor has been developed; it can assist building designers in creating solutions of these problems. The assessment concept is meant to be an integral part of new design guidelines for office buildings, which aim to achieve energy efficient buildings with a good indoor comfort and low environmental impact. The building designers have different needs at different stages of the design process. For this reason, the assessment concept makes use of the Eco‐factor tool, which is defined so input can be based on both simple and advanced calculations in early and later phases of design, respectively, while still delivering the same output.

An iterative assessment concept for building design based on the eco‐factor

Abstract Problems in office buildings are often related to the design and control of the indoor environment and of the building as an energy system. The often interconnected nature of the above two issues is important to take into account, since, for instance, internal and external heat loads, temperatures, and air change rates affect both energy use and indoor comfort. Thus, to avoid the indoor climate problems, it is essential that energy optimisation is integrated with assessment of indoor climate. An assessment concept based on the so‐called Eco‐factor has been developed; it can assist building designers in creating solutions of these problems. The assessment concept is meant to be an integral part of new design guidelines for office buildings, which aim to achieve energy efficient buildings with a good indoor comfort and low environmental impact. The building designers have different needs at different stages of the design process. For this reason, the assessment concept makes use of the Eco‐factor t...

Effect of Solar-Cycle on Terrestrial Weather Parameters at Ibadan, Nigeria

Investigations have been made of the morphology of the sun-weather relationships in terms of possible solar cycle effects on terrestrial weather parameters. The study was done using data from measurements carried out at Ibadan (lat 7.4°N, long 3.9°E) Nigeria during solar cycle 21 (1980–1990) and solar cycle 22 (1991–2001). It has been found from the full correlation analysis that the magnitudes of the various weather parameters are not dependent on solar activity. The results of the study unfold significant features of the sun-weather relationship at the studied station. The implications of the investigation on building design guidelines and heat transfer models of building components are also discussed.

Building Design Guidelines to Minimize Impacts from Terrorism

The word “Terrorism” used to be a foreign term to the people of Thailand. Today, however, globalization plus technology have driven everything closer together. Thus, terrorism should no longer be a stranger to us. Although there might not be as many terrorism incidents in Thailand as in some other countries, the possibilities of attack still remain a factor for architects and engineers when designing buildings. This article begins with the facts about terrorism. Then, a few ideas are presented to be used as guidelines for design professionals, when dealing with the new awareness of terrorism. Site and building planning, strengthening structure against impact, code compliance and the sub-office and the idea of decentralization are the main topics of discussion. The ideas are not meant to prevent acts of terrorism or to protect buildings entirely. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to prevent attacks. This article suggests that we, as design professionals, can find ways to minimize the impact of terrorist acts or discourage those acts altogether in order to protect ourselves and our property from becoming soft targets.

The role of local governments in fostering ‘green’ buildings: a case study

The process of creating and implementing Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines for the City of Santa Monica, USA and its interplay with city administrative processes is described and the strategic lessons are assessed. Like most North American cities, Santa Monica's civic administration had dealt with environmental issues on an ad-hoc basis, with individual departments designated to respond to particular issues as they arose. After extensive public consultation, and initial work by the guidelines team, the project was expanded beyond simple design advice, to modify existing city programmes and ordinances; and to create new ordinances aimed directly at critical aspects of environmental sustainability. Perhaps more important, the co-operation and co-ordination that marked the guidelines project from the beginning has continued since, possibly heralding a new way that city operations will address sustainability issues that inherently cross administrative boundaries. Le processus de création et de mise en oeuvre des Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines (Directives pour la construction et la conception de bâtiments verts) pour la ville de Santa Monica, aux États-Unis et son interaction avec les processus administratifs de la ville sont décrits et les leçons de stratégies sont évaluées. Tout comme la plupart des villes américaines, l'administration civique de Santa Monica a traité les problèmes d'environnement sur une base ad-hoc, avec les départements individuels destinés à réagir face à des problèmes particuliers à mesure que ceux-ci étaient soulevés. Après avoir consulté massivement le public et après un travail initial avec l'équipe des Guidelines, le projet a été étendu au-delà du simple conseil concernant la conception à la modification des programmes et ordonnances urbaines existantes et à la création de nouvelles ordonnances dirigées directement vers les aspects critiques de la pérennité écologique. Peut-être moins importantes, la coopération et la coordination qui marquaient au début le projet Guidelines out continué depuis, annonçant probablement une nouvelle manière, pour les opérations urbaines, d'affronter les problèmes de pérennité qui dépassent de manière inhérente les limites administratives.

鉄筋コンクリート梁の終局せん断強度算定式に関する一考察

In this study, a consideration was conducted regarding a method for calculating ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete beams by means of a plastic analysis of truss and arch mechanisms in the design guidelines for earthquake resistant concrete buildings based on ultimate strength concept, and an improved method with good accuracy in average was suggested. The values of effective factor, ν of concrete compressive strength were inversely analyzed based on the arch mechanism from the past experimental results on ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete beams without shear reinforcement, and an equation (17) was induced based on a consideration on compressive strength of concrete partitioned into strips by cracking. As for an assumption of cot φ in the truss mechanism, it was shown that the method A in the design guidelines gives better agreement with the experimental results than the method B does.

A NEW THERMAL INERTIA MODEL BASED ON EFFUSIVITY

In the framework of the PASCOOL project, theoretical and experimental studies have been performed to improve the quantitative understanding of the presence and distribution of massive building elements for the passive cooling of buildings. A new thermal model, based on effusivity, a parameter that can be analytically derived from the solution of the heat equation for a semi-infinite wall, was developed. The transient thermal response of a variety of building zones to a series of steps in heat gain has been measured for the validation of the thermal inertia models. It was observed that, for each step in gain, the mean surface temperature of the spaces increases proportionally to the square root of time, as predicted by the effusivity model. The results allowed the formulation of simple passive cooling design guidelines for buildings.

Comfort, climate analysis and building design guidelines

The paper discusses issues of thermal comfort standards, including the ASHRAE comfort zone, techniques of graphical climate data analysis, as well as the uses of building bioclimatic charts in the formulation of building design guidelines, especially for hot climates. The problematics of applying the Olgyay bioclimatic charts and the ASHRAE comfort standards for unconditioned buildings, especially in developing hot countries, are discussed. Revised building bioclimatic charts are described for the first time in this paper. The boundaries of applicability of various building design strategies and passive cooling systems in different climates are discussed. These strategies are based on the expected indoor temperatures achievable with the different strategies and include daytime ‘comfort” ventilation, the utilization of the structural mass for thermal storage in conjunction with nocturnal ventilation, and direct and indirect evaporative cooling.

Design Guidelines for Base-Isolated Buildings with Energy Dissipators

Base isolation is a design strategy founded on the premise that a structure can be substantially decoupled from damaging horizontal components of earthquake motions, significantly reducing levels of force and acceleration in the structure. This paper provides the basis of a practical base isolation system which includes energy dissipation in special purpose mechanical devices. Topics covered include basic elements of base isolation, feasibility, design philosophy and code considerations. Design procedures based on a series of design charts are presented and an example of their use on a 12-story structure is detailed.

Streamlining PPBS to Better Manage National Defense

21. This paragraph summarizes findings in Tether's, Governmental Procurement and Operations, p. 26. Sources of explanation for this description are: Florida Life Cycle Analysis Manual and the Florida Energy Conservation Manual, both prepared for the Florida Department of General Services (DGS) by PGA Engineers, Inc. of Tampa, Florida (Consultant: Syska and Hennessy, Inc. of New York City), March 1975. Additional information source is telephone interview of Thomas A. Sechler, administrator of the Bureau of Construction, DGS, by Richard Reeve, a research assistant at ELI. 22. actual application of LCC to government building construction is complex. In addition to state laws and administrative procedures describing this process, another source of information on the subject is Energy Conservation Design Guidelines for New Office Buildings prepared by the U.S. General Services Administration, 2nd ed. (Washington, D.C., July 1975). 23. Russell, Energy Efficient Procurement, p. 4. 24. Tether, Governmental Procurement and Operations, p. 14. 25. Attorney General's Opinion to North Carolina Department of Commerce, Energy Division (March 30, 1977). 26. Russell, Energy Efficient Procurement, p. 7. eight states are: Minnesota, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Kentucky, Hawaii, Tennessee, and New Jersey. 27. Runke, Final Report: Energy Conservation, p. 7. 28. For a summary of the state statutes, see Russell, Energy Efficient Procurement, pp. 7-10. 29. This was the finding of the nationwide survey of energyefficient procurement practices conducted by the Council of State Governments. See Runke, Final Report: Energy Conservation, p. 25. 30. Runke, Final Report: Energy Conservation, p. 12. 31. Ibid., p.. 12. 32. For a discussion of organizational decline and cutback management, see Charles H. Levine, Symposium Editor, Organizational Decline and Cutback Management, Public Administration Review, July/August 1978, pp. 315-357. Also see on the subject of resource scarcity, Jerry McCaffery, Special Issue Editor, The Impact of Resource Scarcity on Urban Public Finance, Public Administration Review, January 1981. 33. Telephone conversation with Mr. Roger A. Lundquist, North Carolina Division of Purchase and Contract, Department of Administration (February 17, 1981). Savings on air conditioners, light utility vehicles, autos, and station wagons were in BTUs and were converted to dollar savings by the author.

Observations concerning Provisional Design Guidelines for residential and public buildings in the far northern regions

Observations concerning Provisional Design Guidelines for residential and public buildings in the far northern regions