FORM BASED STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION OF HIGH RISE BUILDINGS - AN ECO CONSCIOUS APPROACH.

 

Doing more with less is the need of the time. Structures by their own nature are Sustainable. Good Structural engineering emphasizes on achieving great efficiency and minimization of material. Process of thinking will have to be widened and broadened to adapt  the pressing needs of the environment. Today structure will have to be an active partner in the building-design process. Although the architect is usually perceived as the designer of a tall building, a partnership between him/her and the structural and other engineers  will have to be established before any meaningful design process can commence. Time has come for structural engineers to step up and play a significant role by including energy strategies in his/her way of thinking. Structure has to interact closely with architecture and respond positively to the environmental demands of its surroundings. This should be done without compromising the structural efficiency but enhancing its overall performance and aesthetics.

 

 It is true that the primary function of the structures are  to carry loads and transfer them to the ground which is the process of an imaginative endeavor that is carefully guided by experience and intuition. Experience, knowledge and creativity are, to a great extent, the prerequisite for the development of novel and exciting structural systems. It is now important to extend this process to include environmental issues. The challenge is to incorporate a structural design that takes as much advantage as possible of the environmental forces.

 

For a tall building, wind is the most important natural resource that can be exploited. Instead of forcibly resisting the wind forces, an attempt should be made to accommodate them within the design of the building. A sustainable tall building is not only the realization of an architect’s vision, but also the creation of many engineers and consultants. Complex designs demand expertise from each profession. Sustainable structures not only imply optimum-sized structural elements, but also optimum-designed structural systems catering to the building’s energy needs.

 

Study of parameters that  constitutes an eco conscious tall structures is essential . For  insuring the validity of this approach some strategies have been constructed and  few important steps are considered which would lead to structural systems that are both efficient and environmentally conscious. The approach towards achieving an eco consciousness  is neither simple nor direct. It can take different paths and can emerge from different starting points.

 

By introducing elements of  Eco Conscious structure including  Scale, Structural form , Structural material , Energy-conscious strategy , Collaboration between disciplines , Safety and evacuation , Integrated functional design, Speed and efficiency, Role of the structural system , Life cycle cost analysis , Simplified proposed outline for structural synthesis & few case studies the paper intends to open the dialogue among engineers , architects towards more active participation.

 

Through the structural investigative process it became evident that the innovative Forms have a great potential to provide Eco Conscious Tall Buildings .It’s certain that the future is going to witness significant advances in eco-conscious research and design, with sustainable structure playing an important roll.

Dr.Er.Ar.S.P.ANCHURI , Chief Consultant ,Anchuri & Anchuri ,Hyderabad.Telangana.India