Três Irmãos – Skyscraper Project
BEAMS STRUCTURE – FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN
The structural beam system is a vital part of every structural frame whether or not the beams are revealed or hidden.
Today we highlight the steps we took to develop the structural beam system for the skyscraper project.
CHALLENGES
Most structural frame systems are designed with typical beam arrangements across all floors so as to ensure rigidity and simplicity of design choices made.
This type of design is typically found in regular-shaped buildings without any unique floor level (i.e. most floor levels are typical). However, in the case of our skyscraper design, having an irregular shape/geometry and no typical floor levels, there is the need for structural beam systems to be designed in conformity to the building shape. Hence, this brings us to a parametric method of designing building elements, where all beam elements change in length and orientation as the building’s shape changes.
CONCEPTUALIZATION
Since the only way to achieve a rigid structural beam system is through parameterization; we resorted to automation in design using relevant programming tools.
The very good importance of this automation process is that it greatly cuts down on time which would have been wasted modelling all beam elements manually; knowing that no beams are the same at each level.
The structural frame is made of a composite structure with concrete and steel as prevailing materials.
In this conceptual stage, all beams were modelled as steel components at LOD300 with no special details.
DESIGN AUTOMATION
As mentioned above, all beams in the project were automated using a combination of several programming workflows. Examples of such include implementing mathematical methods to create an array of secondary beams across the main/primary beams by dividing the primary beam centre lines into parameters based on varying percentages. Programming tools used includes; Dynamo for Revit as Visual programming platform and Python for Dynamo to automate complex tasks and create organized model data in Dynamo.
As mentioned above, all beams in the project were automated using a combination of several programming workflows. Examples of such include implementing mathematical methods to create an array of secondary beams across the main/primary beams by dividing the primary beam centre lines into parameters based on varying percentages.
Programming tools used includes; Dynamo for Revit as Visual programming platform and Python for Dynamo to automate complex tasks and create organized model data in Dynamo.
