SCDM71-316 Structures and Soil Mechanics
Assignment 2
Increasingly architects and engineers are engaged by clients to design and build structures that demonstrate the client’s social
and environmental awareness. This is often in the form of sustainably designed and operated buildings.
This assignment aims to have you consider the different ways sustainable structural engineering design can be incorporated
into any given building. The solutions often mean the engineers have to develop out-of-the-box solutions. You will need to
use your engineering judgement and consider these solutions and how they have influenced the design of such buildings.
You are to choose one of the buildings listed below which have been completed with a sustainability focus and report on the
project tasks outlined below. You should focus on the structural engineering and construction concepts taught in this course
when answering the tasks below.
41 Exemplar
Bud Clark commons
John and Frances Angelos Law Center
Herman Teirlinck Building
Bloomberg Center / Morphosis Architects
Genzyme Center | Behnisch Architekten
PROJECT TASKS
The project tasks are as follows
1. Provide an introduction for the report detailing the purpose of the report and background information on your
chosen structure.
2. Briefly discuss the green star rating system used in Australia. Considering the requirements of the rating, discuss
two ways for a structural engineer to design slabs to achieve a higher green star rating.
3. Research two structures in Australia (not from the above list) that have being given a green star rating and discuss
the sustainability credentials of the structural building materials used in each building
Case Study (tasks 4-9 related to 1 (ONLY SELECT ONE) of the 6 buildings listed above)
4. Describe the calculation procedure of the total dead load of the slabs within the building. For bonus marks
approximate the dead load of these slabs. State the assumptions that you have made.
5. Identify the variable loads that the building will experience during its life cycle and how the engineer managed
the wind loads when designing the building (hint. consider the form of the structural elements and also
consider stability).
6. Draw the load path through the structure for the application of a 5kN live load at the centre of the plan area of the
roof of your selected structure.
7. Sketch two alternate footing systems that could have been used by your building. Discuss the reasons to use each
footing system and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
8. Briefly discuss three approaches of sustainable design engaged by your chosen building. Provide quantifiable
proof to justify your answers (you may need to consider research papers here).
9. Consider two architectural features that are considered rare or unique to the building and discuss how the engineer
overcame the difficulties associated with such features (hint: you will need to use your personal engineering
judgement to analyse the features).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There is a word limit of 1500 words.
Your report is not a question and answer. It should be structured with headings matching the topics points above. Referencing
is required.
Use photos, sketches and diagrams where required and where they can help answer the project tasks.
DELIVERABLES and DEADLINES
Due date – Monday 20 November 2017 at 4pm
This project is an individual submission
Method of delivery – via electronic submission through safe assign on iLearn – NO HARDCOPY required
ASSESSMENT
This project is weighted at 25% of the overall course mark
