ctbuh.org/papers Title: Structural Design Innovation: Russia Tower and Other Tall Collaborations Author: Robert Halvorson, Principal, Halvorson and Partners Subject: Structural Engineering Keywords: Energy Efficiency Structure Publication Date: 2008 Original Publication: CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished © Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Robert Halvorson Structural Design Innovation: Russia Tower and Other Tall Collaborations Robert A. Halvorson, SE, PE, FASCE, FIStructE, Principal Halvorson and Partners, 600 West Chicago Avenue, Suite 650, Chicago, Illinois 60610 Abstract A number of tall buildings created through the collaboration of the practices of Lord Foster, Foster and Partners, and the author and his firm are presented. The designs are placed in context with the fundamental principles of efficient design of tall building structures. Keywords: Foster, Halvorson, innovation, collaboration, tall buildings Introduction time. Don’t the structural forms relate to the architectural This is the story of collaboration over a period of forms of the buildings? Maybe you’re thinking of the about a decade that led to a number of unique and Pantheon? Notre-Dame Cathedral? The Chrysler innovative ideas about tall building structures. It began building? Lever House? The buildings that come to rhalvorson@halvorson in 1999 and goes on today. Through a mutual mind are all probably true to theandpartners.com structure. Their acquaintance, the author met Sir Norman Foster, now organization, appearance, transparency and solidity are BiographyLord Foster, in connection with a project in Chicago, the probably all related to their structure. (Even if you are Robertauthor’s A. home Halvorson, base. SE,Since PE, then, FIStructE the two leads Principals the structural and engineeringthinking of practice somewhat of Halvorson “arbitrary” and building Partners. forms Bob, – as the he istheir known firms by have most, collaborated is an industry on leader a number in tall of building projects design. – successful Over the pastones thirty probably years Bobemploy has engineeredstructural oversystems forty buildingseach one ofunique forty instories form or and more in structuralincluding detail,the 118 but story each Russia appropriate Tower, which to their when “arbitrariness”.) completed will be the tallest building infitting Europe. into His the interest fundamental in building pattern structures of efficientbegan with tall a summer job as a carpenter’s helper and continued through his formalbuilding studies structural at Cornell design. and Stanford. The collaboration Bob began his hascareer with SkidmoreWhat does Owings make & Merrillan efficient (SOM), servingtall building in their Chicago,culminated Houston, in the designNew York of the and Russia London Tower, offices. a 118 In story1983 his structure?demonstrated The leadership primary influeand creativitynces on earnedthe structure him the aredis- tinctiontall mixed-use of becoming building the firm’sin Moscow. youngest Before partner. addressing Never one to gravitybecome andcomplacent, lateral wind Bob orleft seismic SOM andloads. founded The structuralHalvorson andseveral Partners selected in 1996. building Now, justconcepts 11 years resulting later the from firm this has officesengineer, and personnelunfortunately, in Chicago, has no Atlantaability andto affect Abu Dhabigravity with acollaboration total staff of briefly,50 professionals. and the Russia Under Tower Bob’s in leadership more detail, the firmloads has – hedesign or she projects can select underway lighter in materials a number to ofminimize countries includingsome background Spain, the on United the recent Arab Emirates,history of Russia,tall buildings Korea, andthe China. loads Bob to isbe a Fellowresisted, of andthe Americancan make Society the elements of Civil Engineerswill allow and the ofbuilding the Institution designs of to Structural be placed Engineersin the context in the UK.carrying His passion gravity for loads tall buildings of newer, has stronger never subsided. materials, Today, but Bob’sof the greatest broader professional evolution of joy efficient is sharing tall buildingthat passion systems. with owners, these architects, are a matter and contractors of degree to developand there creative is very solutions little for seemingly impossible structures. revolutionary that can be achieved. It is in the area of Efficiency in Structural Design resisting lateral loads and deformations that the Tall buildings are extremely complicated animals – collaboration between architect and engineer has the no one person can absorb and apply all aspects of the greatest effect. technology relevant to their design. Similarly, the temperament, personality and interests of people attracted The principles of efficient tall building structural to the different aspects of the development, design and design were presented in a paper presented by the author construction are markedly different. So, collaboration of in 1988 (Halvorson, 1988), and are quite simple: individuals with different skills and different interests is x Resist the overturning forces due to wind (or lateral necessary to put the pieces of tall buildings together. To loads in general) on vertical elements placed as far the extent these pieces fit together well in a pleasing apart as possible. fashion and each of the pieces represents the best that x Channel gravity loads to those vertical elements technology has to offer, and together they all meet the resisting wind overturning forces. needs of the client, then the collaboration has been x Link these vertical elements together with structural successful. elements forming rigid planes. x To the extent possible, resist lateral forces with For structural engineers this means, at a minimum, members axially loaded in compression rather than that the structural system employs systems and materials loaded in tension or bending. appropriate to the building’s height and configuration, that the system performs well, and that the system can be These principles are so significant in taller constructed efficiently. But on a higher level, the buildings that they may entirely outweigh what passes as structure can also inform the architectural design and vice “conventional wisdom” for low-rise buildings. As one versa - the structure and architecture can be one. Think classic example, the Sears Tower employs steel floor back through your personal list of great buildings of all trusses spanning 23 m for the sole purpose of delivering CTBUH 8th World Congress 2008 1 Structural Design Innovation: Russia Tower and Other Tall Collaborations Robert A. Halvorson, SE, PE, FASCE, FIStructE, Principal Halvorson and Partners, 600 West Chicago Avenue, Suite 650, Chicago, Illinois 60610 Abstract A number of tall buildings created through the collaboration of the practices of Lord Foster, Foster and Partners, and the author and his firm are presented. The designs are placed in context with the fundamental principles of efficient design of tall building structures. Keywords: Foster, Halvorson, innovation, collaboration, tall buildings Introduction time. Don’t the structural forms relate to the architectural This is the story of collaboration over a period of forms of the buildings? Maybe you’re thinking of the about a decade that led to a number of unique and Pantheon? Notre-Dame Cathedral? The Chrysler innovative ideas about tall building structures. It began building? Lever House? The buildings that come to in 1999 and goes on today. Through a mutual mind are all probably true to the structure. Their acquaintance, the author met Sir Norman Foster, now organization, appearance, transparency and solidity are Lord Foster, in connection with a project in Chicago, the probably all related to their structure. (Even if you are author’s home base. Since then, the two Principals and thinking of somewhat “arbitrary” building forms – the their firms have collaborated on a number of projects – successful ones probably employ structural systems each one unique in form and in structural detail, but each appropriate to their “arbitrariness”.) fitting into the fundamental pattern of efficient tall building structural design. The collaboration has What does make an efficient tall building culminated in the design of the Russia Tower, a 118 story structure? The primary influences on the structure are tall mixed-use building in Moscow. Before addressing gravity and lateral wind or seismic loads. The structural several selected building concepts resulting from this engineer, unfortunately, has no ability to affect gravity collaboration briefly, and the Russia Tower in more detail, loads – he or she can select lighter materials to minimize some background on the recent history of tall buildings the loads to be resisted, and can make the elements will allow the building designs to be placed in the context carrying gravity loads of newer, stronger materials, but of the broader evolution of efficient tall building systems. these are a matter of degree and there is very little revolutionary that can be achieved. It is in the area of Efficiency in Structural Design resisting lateral loads and deformations that the Tall buildings are extremely complicated animals – collaboration between architect and engineer has the no one person can absorb and apply all aspects of the greatest effect. technology