BuiLding structuraL anaLysis, design and documentation
This category applies to creative and effective uses of information-based approaches
in the structural engineering process. Of particular interest are projects in which
analysis, design, and documentation of the structural system were integrated.
Manchester Hilton Wsp group plc WINNER
The Manchester hilton is currently the tallest post-tension concrete residential building in the United
Kingdom. It is a 49-story structure with 279 rooms
for the hotel from levels four to 22, and 219 apartments from levels 25 to the roof. The tower is 155
meters high to the roof parapet and the feature
blade structure extends a further 15 meters above
the main roof, making the overall structure approximately 170 meters high.
Post-tension concrete was selected for the slab
design in order to minimize floor-to-floor height.
It allowed a slab thickness of 225 millimeters in
the hotel and 220 millimeters on the residential
floors. Above level 23, the floor extends four
meters beyond the north face of the main floor to
accommodate different functional requirements
for residential use. Both post-tension slab and
in-situ concrete cantilevered beams extend from
the main core walls to support the extended
cantilevers.
In addition, the column layout changed from the
top level to the ground level. Walking columns
are used as transferred structural systems for the
two short edges of the building. Edge columns
walk a distance of several meters in two directions
at two different levels. The slab design allows for
push-pull effects.
The effective and accurate modeling of this tall,
slender building provided a challenge to the
design team. The ability of Bentley’s RAM and
STAAD products to modify input data easily and
produce adequate and sensible output permitted
the team to make informed decisions during various
stages of the project. This was critical for late
changes requiring rapid decisions.
For example, the design of the 22-meter structural
steel feature had to be modified at a late date to
suit the lifting capacity of the tower crane. After
installation, the blade generated unexpected wind
noise effect. Engineers analyzed the dynamic
behavior of individual elements in the blade to
develop a remedy.
