The Chapman Graduate School of Business Structural Systems Case Study

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The Chapman Graduate School of BusinessStructural Systems Case Study

Andrea Moreno - Jennifer Diaz - Natasha DiminichAndrea Moreno - Jennifer Diaz - Natasha Diminich

Main entrance - www.worldarchitecturenews.com

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The structure for the Chapman building is comprised of a combination of concrete systems:

Reinforced cast-in-place

Pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete joists, soffit beams and walls

Load bearing masonry walls

The Chapman Building - Structural Systems

Reinforced cast-in-place

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Pouring concrete into frame Frame and reinforcement grid

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Pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete joists and soffit beams

Loads are spread through the beams and joists and down to the footings through the columns and load bearing walls

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All these systems transfer their loads to the foundations below grade. The foundation is a shallow footing system that sits on natural limestone. The limestone has a max bearing capacity of 6000 psf.

Chapman Building foundation plan

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• These examples of how the concrete systems come together in the Chapman Building

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA71EUjf3mg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkuqoS1UpBk&feature=related


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Load bearing masonry walls are constructed by assembling

concrete blocks or CMUs with steel reinforcing embedded in

the mortar of the horizontal joints to increase the wall’s ability

to carry vertical loads.

The Chapman Building - Structural Systems9

Load bearing masonry walls are located in the interior of the building.

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The building was designed structurally to withstand wind loads of 146 mph since it is located on a "High Velocity Hurricane Zone.“

The frame of the curtain wall located on the bottom portion of the south building is made of aluminum horizontal and vertical members. It is glazed with laminated glass that is resistant to small missile impact.

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The building withstands the following loads:


Wind Loads:-146 mph

Dead Loads:

- 20 psf on all interior areas

- 10 psf on roof

Live Loads:- 100 psf on multifunction

rooms- 30 psf on roof- 60 psf on auditorium- 40 psf on classrooms- 50 psf on office- 80 psf on corridors

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(Binggeli, p.59) “Expansion joints are small gaps left in between two parts of a structure to allow for thermal expansion and contraction.” This is the case in the image of a portion of exposed cast-in-place beam, joist and slab.

(Binggeli, p. 59)“Control joints are continuous grooves that prevent concrete pours to crack.” These joints can become part of the design concept is the case in the Chapman building.

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The oval shape open to below the main entry is also attached to the columns that support the exterior walls.

The cantilever or overhang structure supports the projected pre-cast concrete wall.

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(Binggeli, p.38) The shear walls are a key element to the building’s structure. “They transfer the load to the foundation and resists changes in shape.”

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Shear walls are also present in the exit stairs and elevators’ structure

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The structure is built to last 75-100 years.

Most of the structure of the building is hidden.

A structural engineer does a yearly inspection of the building.

There is little maintenance that can be done to the structure.

Application of a sealant to prevent water infiltration damage to the structure.

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The skylights and windows throughout the offices in the east wing of building1 are architectural features that let natural light inside the spaces causing glare - Most of the subjects interviewed expressed that they prefer to work in an environment filled with natural lighting.

The administrative offices in building 1 lack privacy due to their glass partitions - Most of the staff said that they enjoy the interaction with co-workers and visitors, which is promoted by the glass partitions and cubicles. Nevertheless, a few of the subjects consider that the glass partitions or the cubicles do not provide enough privacy.


Hypotheses Findings:

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Students do not linger in the courtyard because the concrete radiate heat and raise the temperature - Most of the students interviewed never linger in the courtyard because they feel it is too hot and humid and the landscape does not offer enough shade to cool down the area.

The shear walls that cut through the north facing curtain wall of building 1 were in part designed for way finding. However these doors are rarely used instead the main door and the door next to the Java City Café are more accessible - Most of our interviewees said they enter through the Java City or through the lobby’s main entrance.


Structural systems interrelate with all other systems in the building. These systems allow architecture to happen and within the architecture all other systems can be implemented.

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In our study we found that most of the users of the Chapman building complex interviewed are happy with its architectural features such as the skylights and windows as well as the open space layout.

The courtyard within the complex is one of the few areas where the users feel uncomfortable due the intense heat during the warmer seasons.

The structural systems seem to be serving their purpose without interfering with the users’ activities.

Through this study we found that in general people are not aware of how the structural systems function because their components are not obvious, for that reason structures are often taken for granted.

The information gathered covers more than just the visual parts of the systems and our interview questions to the end users were limited to how they experience these with their senses. We found that this part had its limitations, as the users in most cases do not pay major attention to how the building is supported.

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Conclusion

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Thank you

Documents

The Chapman Graduate School of Business Structural Systems Case Study