Integrated Civil Engineering

Design Project
(Building Structure Design)

CIVL 395

HKUST
By : Ir. K.S. Kwan
Date: 3/07

Content
1. Building Control in Hong Kong
2. Design Criteria
3. Structural Form (Residential Building)
4. Hong Kong Wind Loading
5. Computer Modeling
6. Design Example

BUILDING CONTROL
IN HONG KONG

1. Building Control in Hong Kong

Building Department (BD) to control the building development in

private sectors. All development plans should be submitted to BD for
approval and seek consent for construction. BD will approval/reject the
plans based on the statuary requirements such as development area,
building height, strength and stability of building etc

Under Building (Construction) Regulation), the following plans should be

submitted by Authorised Person (AP), Registered Structural Engineer
(RSE) or Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE).

Building Plan (architectural design on site and building layout)

Structural Plan (structural framing and detail)
Foundation Plan (foundation design of building e.g. piling layout)
Site Formation Plan (civil and geotechnical engineering work)
Demolition Plan (structural engineering work)

Site Layout Plan

To show the major

development of the site e.g.
site location, relationship
with surrounding buildings,
slopes , no of blocks,
external works , etc.

In particular to the site

closed to some scheduled
area such as Marble Area,
MTRC, The development
should make provision on
the design such as reduced
stress in foundation design
in Marble Area and no
foundation work within 3m
from the MTRC structure

Building Floor Plan (Architectural Plan)

It is prepared by the AP to show
the block layout including
development area, height of
building, building shape, floor
plans, lift location, fire escape
route, prescribe window
Other than the tower typical
floor plan, the layout of podium,
car park, roof, water tank, pump
room, transformer room et. are
included.
Based on this plan, the RSE
should prepare corresponding
structural layout including the
structural details to BD for
approval.

Flat roof
at 37F

Part plan at 37F- 40/F`

Structural Framing Plan

This is the skeleton of building.
All members shown on this plans
are called structural elements.
Any change/removal should be
verified by RSE.
The drawing should
show all member
sizes (i.e. wall,
column, slab and
beam), concrete
grade and any special
issue such as transfer
or cantilever structure
The contractor can
use this drawing for
formwork construction

Structural detail drawing

To show the
reinforcement detail for
construction
All bar length, size,
spacing should be shown
The contractor can use
this drawing for steel
fixing

Slab reinforcement
detail

Foundation Plan
To show all the foundation
layout including footing,
pilecap and piles.

Pilecap
layout

Pile layout

Building Design Standard

Building

(Construction) Regulation (The law used to control building

development including the precedure to submit building plan, material used for construction,
foundation requirement at building design)

Local

Code of Practice Wind, Concrete, Steel, Fire

(They
provide most technical standard for designer. A new set of CoP have been issued between 2004
and 2005. The coming CoP will include Loading and seismic design. Wind CoP is specially
specified for local wind climate. Concrete CoP is similar to BS8110 other than the material
properties. Steel CoP is similar to BS5950))

Practice

Note for Authority Person/Register Structural

Engineer (PNAP) (up to 301 notes to provide some requirements on design and

construction other than above two such the identification of scheduled area, use of code of
practice etc..)

PNAP

What is the Role of Structural Engineer

in Building Design?
Architect
Structural Engineer

Client

Building Service
Engineer

Overall building concept, floor plan,

Building height, elevation

Structural system, foundation

Building service system, lift..

Landscape Architect

Landscape design

Geotechnical
Engineer

Slope, subsoil condition

Civil Engineer

Site formation

Structural Engineer

Structural engineer is to develop the

skeletal framework and the foundation
and other soil/structural interfacing works
for bridges, buildings and other structural
forms, which are to withstand against the
natural forces due to gravitational wind,
soil, water, earthquake and/or other
environmental effects.

Factors to be considered
for Building Development
Cost-effective
Quality
(material control,
Workmanship.)

(To reduce the

construction cost which
Is about HK$4,000
to 8,000/m2)

Buildability
(Easy for construction,
Safety.)

Functional
(Residential, commercial,
factory, school)

Environmental
(Energy saving, formwork
Saving, .)

Building Development Process

Feasibility Design

Preliminary Design
(Scheme Design)

Detailed Design Stage

Construction Stage

To test the development by different design

parameters (population, number of flat, no. of
blocks, location etc. ) for development cost
estimation. In some case, the foundation is
extremely high and it is a factor to be considered
when disposition of blocks)

Based on experience, designer provides

professional input (wall layout, element size) in
accordance with preliminary architectural layout
and estimate the construction cost for comparison.
Build up simple computer model to test the
structural form if required.
After confirming the scheme, prepare detail
design and submission to BD for approval and
tender documents

AP, RSE and RGE to supervise the construction

work on site and report to BD on completion

DESIGN CRITERIA

2. Design Criteria
(Most details are specified in above Building Design Standard

The structural criteria are:

Adequate strength against failure (Ultimate limit state) e.g.

stability of building, strength of element

Adequate lateral stiffness (Serviceability limit state) e.g.

deflection of building, comfortable requirement

An efficient performance during the service life of the building

(Serviceability limit state) e.g. cracks, durability, fire protection..

Loading

Gravity Load
Dead

Load (self weight of member or imposed dead load such as finishes, fixed
partition..)

Live

Load (as requirement specified in B(C)R) e.g. the loading requirement for domestic
floor or for classroom is different)

Wind Load (as HK CoP of Wind 2004)

Seismic Load (Being studied by the Government)

Gravity Load

Dead Load
Self

Weight (24KN/m3)
Finishes (thickness x 24/m3 =?/m2)
Fixed partition (thickness x height x 24/m3 = ?/m)

Imposed Load
As

HK Building (Construction) Regulations (BCR)

Domestic area
Common area

Partition

= 2.5 KN/m2
= 3.0 KN/m2

Load (non-fixed) = thickness x height x 24 /3

= ?/m2
Live load reduction factor (as BCR)

Imposed Live Load Requirement as B(C) R

Strength and Stability

The structure must have adequate

strength to resist, and to remain stable
under, the probable worst load actions

Any additional stresses caused by

restrained differential movements due to
creep, shrinkage or temperature must be
considered.

Stability Checking

Checking Overturning

Stability Check on
underground structure

Uplift Checking

Sliding Checking

Sliding Checking

Beneficial case : 1.0D +1.4 Water uplift pressure to check the bottom slab

Excess Response to Wind Loads

(Ref: CoP Cl. 7.3.2)
Excessive

accelerations under wind loads that may

cause discomfort or alarm to occupants should be
avoided in particular some high aspect ration building
(Height /Width i.e. H/B >5)

static or dynamic analysis could be employed into

account the pertinent features of the structure and its
surroundings. Limited deflection at the top of a building
to H/500 when considering a static characteristic wind
load should result in an acceptable environment for
occupants in normal buildings.

Partitions

cladding and finished., etc. need to be

specifically detailed to allow for the anticipated relative
lateral deflection in any one storey under the
characteristic wind load.

Deflection (CoP Cl. 5.2)

The deflections or deformations from all load types should

not impair the strength or effective functioning of a structure,
supporting elements or its components, nor cause damage
to the finishes. For typical structures, the deflection limits
are:

 Excess

Response to Wind Loads

When

a dynamic analysis is undertaken, the

maximum peak acceleration of building should be
assessed for wind speeds based on a 1-in-10-year
return period of 10 minutes duration with the
following limits:

The

Function

Peak Acceleration

Residential

0.15m/s2

Office or Hotel

0.25m/s2

use of dampers on tall and slender buildings

should be supported with dynamic analysis and
specialist literature should be consulted.

Secondary Effect

Creep and Shrinkage Effects

In very tall concrete buildings, the cumulative

vertical movements due to creep and shrinkage
may be sufficiently large to cause distress in nonstructural elements, and to induce significant
structural actions in the horizontal elements,
especially in the upper levels of the building

Temperature Effects

In buildings with partially or fully exposed exterior

columns, significant temperature differences may
occur between exterior columns, and any restraint
to their relative deformations will induce stresses in
the members concerned.

Fire Resisting Construction

For concrete structure,

wall, beam size and
concrete cover are
specified

Detailing -Ductility Requirement

HK CoP 2004 : Clause 9.9

STRUCTURAL FORM

Common Form of Residential

Building in Hong Kong

Tower
(Shear wall structure)
Carpark
(Frame +
Shear wall
structure)

Podium
(Transfer plate
structure)

Foundation
structure
(Pilecap + Pile)

High-Rise Behaviour

A high-rise structure is essentially a vertical cantilever

Behaviour of tall building subjected to shear, moment and

torsion

The resistance of the structure to the external moment is

provided by flexure of the vertical components, and by their
axial action acting as the chords of a vertical truss.

The floor slabs, which act as a rigid diaphragm, play an

important role in distributing horizontal shear and torsion to
the vertical components

Cantilever Deflections

Shear
Force

Overturning
Resistance

Moment

Axial force

Horizontal Force Flow

Wind Load

Rigid diaphragm

Building under Wind

Plan

Plan
Deflection of
building

Plan

Unbalanced force at long

building to create torsion
force on building

Building Horizontal Structure

Common beam and slab system at residential building
Beams are arranged to support
the slab, stair, partition..

Some beams (called lintel) to

link wall together to form the
wind resistance structure

Slab is designed as one way or

two way slab depending on the
span and the normal thickness
is arranged from 100mm to
400mm

Ex. 1 -To select the economical structural form for a slab

between four sides of wall
Finishes thickness = 25mm, Partition load = 2.0KN/m2

Scheme A: 3 nos. 2.7m x 8m

one way slab + 8m span beam

Scheme B: 2 nos. 4m x 8m
one way slab + 8m span beam

Cost of Construction
Concrete = HK$ 700/m3
Steel= HK$ 8,000 /T
Formwork = HK$ 500/m2

Detail of cost breakdown on slab design

(Scheme B)
Concrete
Volume of Concrete slab (160mm thick) : 0.16x8x8=10.24m3
Volume of Beam (0.5x 0.75mm deep) = 0.5x(0.75-0.16)x8 =2.36 m3
Cost of Concrete = (10.24+2.36) x 700 = 8820
Formwork
Area of Formwork = 8x8 + (0.75-0.16)x8x2 =73.44 m2
Cost of Formwork = 73.44 x 500 = 36720
Steel
Total weight of Steel = 1953 Kg
Cost of Formwork = 1953 x8000/1000 = 15624
Total Cost = Concrete + Formwork + Steel = HK $ 61,164

Building Vertical Structure

<10 storey: designed for gravity loading can normally accommodate wind
loading without any increase in member size
> 10 storey: additional material required for wind resistance increases nonlinearly with height

Symmetrical
Building

Unsymmetrical
Building with
Additional
Twisting
force

Common System
Form at high-rise
building
Frame
Shear

Wall

Tube
Outrigger

Frame Structure

Economical for building

below 20 storey
Wind resistance structure is
formed by the rigid joined
beam and column structure

Shear Wall
Economical for building
between 20 to 50 storey
Wind resistance structure is
formed by the cantilever
behavior of wall or the axial
force of wall when linking
together
Common structural form of
residential, hotel building with
more partition walls

Tube Structure

Economical for building

between 50 to 70 storey
Wind resistance structure
is formed by the axial force
of internal and exterior
tube

Outrigger

Used for building over 70

storey to reduce the
deflection of building.

Shear Wall Building Behaviour

Wind load transmitted to individual

shear wall (without linkage) by the floor
diaphragm
Shear wall acts as cantilever to resist
wind load

Structural system load path

Lateral wind
load : V

The stiffness of building is as close as the wind load

Centre to avoid twisting at the building

Shear Wall Building Behaviour Coupled Shear Wall

For single shear wall, the reaction at

base in moment (M) only.
If two walls are linked together by beam
(lintel), the couple action will change the
reaction at base from moment force to
axial force which is more economical

Relative properties of various wall geometries

Relative deflection of coupled walls

To enhance the
stiffness of building by
increasing the moment of
inertia of each wall
section (for rectangular
section I = bd3/12)
With same area,
moment of inertia (I) can
be obtained by flange
section better than
rectangular section
sacred

To enhance the
stiffness of building by
linking the walls as much
as possible

lintel

Ex. 2 -To identify the structural wall layout which can

provide the block to be built up to 50 storey

Preliminary Architectural Plan

Q &A