STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR ARCHITECTURE

Structural Design for Architecture

Fig. 2.8 Plan of the Willis. Faber

and Dumas office, Ipswich,

England, 1974, Foster Associates,

architects, Anthony Hunt

Associates, structural engineers.

The floors of this building are

reinforced concrete coffered slabs

which are supported on a conven-

tional square column grid to give

optimum two-way-spanning

capability. Small-diameter

columns at close spacings are

provided around the perimeter to

support those parts of the plan

which project beyond the main

column grid. The complex curvi-

linear plan-form has been

achieved by a relatively minor

adaptation of the basic arrange-

ment for two-way-spanning slabs

(see Fig 4.47).

The Willis, Faber and Dumas building (Fig. ideally suited to deep-plan office buildings.

4.17) is a good example of a two-way-spanning The flat-slab structure depends for strength on

flat slab structure of reinforced concrete. The structural continuity and performs best in

building has three storeys and a very deep plan situations in which several structural bays are

consisting mostly of open-plan office accom- provided in two orthogonal directions. It is a

modation. The requirement for the latter ruled form of structure which is suitable for relatively

out the possibility of using a loadbearing-wall high levels of uniformly distributed imposed

structure. The curvilinear plan of the building load as in the standard pattern of office

favoured the use of reinforced concrete rather loading. The absence of deep beams in flat-

than steel as the structural material. slab structures facilitates the creation, by use

The floor slabs are supported on a square of a false ceiling, of a continuous services zone

column grid which conforms to the standard under the floor structure and the straightfor-

plan for this type of two-way-spanning struc- ward layout of reinforcement and relative

(^42) ture (Fig. 4.47). It is a configuration which is simplicity of the structural form makes the