Design Proposal:

The proposed alternative system for the Gibson Building will be designed using composite steel beams with metal decking and steel columns. The composite steel beams and steel columns will be designed to take on all gravity loads. The lateral system for the structure will be designed using reinforced concrete shear walls. The shear walls will take advantage of the centralized vertical core of The Gibson Building. Stairwells, elevator shafts, and mechanical room areas will be used to place shear walls into the structure to allow the building to have the same façade that it currently has.

According to preliminary trial sizes girders will govern the depth of the structural system and due to loading may require up to W18’s. The current column layout of The Gibson Building will be maintained except in areas where an additional column may need to be added in order to allow for reasonable beam spans. Any structural changes that may affect the architectural layout or other aspects of the building will be indicated and included in why the current structure was selected. However, any issues that may arise and cause need for an architectural change to reach a code standard or allow for a reasonable design will first be cleared by a thesis advisor or architect if deemed acceptable.

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Construction Breadth:

The use of a different material will mean that there is an effect on cost and duration of construction. As a result, the effect the redesign has on the construction process will be looked at. This will include a cost and time of construction comparison between the current and proposed alternative system. The comparison of the systems will be used to determine the feasibility of the alternative systems to help with insight on why the current system was chosen.

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Serviceability Breadth:

Switching systems from cast in place concrete to a steel structure may lead to serviceability issues. Due to the layout of the building being an open floor plan it could possibly lead to an excessive amount of dynamic loading and cause vibration issues. Being as though the building will be occupied by retail, academic, and office space this could potentially be a huge issue. As a result, potential vibration issues will looked at and corrected if presented.