thanks and regards,

HARISH DESAI
CIVIL ENGINEER CUM CONTENT WRITER
hary.desai@...

From: Asjid <asjid@...>
Subject: [engineeringcivil] Case Study : The Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters' Dynamic Facade --- Series of Amazing Construction, just for educational purposes
To: engineeringcivil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, 21 October, 2012, 3:45 PM

 

(Have a look when you have free time)

 

Series of Amazing Construction, just for educational purposes

Desert-smart towers carry their own sunscreen

Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters Building

Case Study : The Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters’ Dynamic Facade

Figure 1: Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters

Parametric modelling and BIM processes supported the design, coordination and construction of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters (ICHQ), still under construction in the UAE. This case study focuses on critical challenges faced in the design, construction and future operation of the dynamic “Mashrabiya” façade. It demonstrates how parametric modelling can be used to tune the complexities of an optimal, energy-efficient design so that it also takes into account the constraints and imitations of fabrication.  This multi-dimensional, non-linear approach, enabled by parametric modelling, informs and enhances the design process resulting in more compelling and energy-efficient links between the built and natural environment.

 The Headquarters for the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ICHQ) is a 147m high twin-tower development located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. One tower will be occupied by Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), and the other by Al Hilal Bank. In an innovative and captivating gesture to moderate the impact of the severe climate, the architects (AEDAS) conceived a kinetic facade composed of elements that fold like origami in response to external changes in light and wind. The modules—called “Mashrabiya” by the design team in a nod to Islamic culture—make a responsive shading system that variably filters the light and heat entering the building at all times during the day. The facade even has the “intelligence” to react to unusual weather conditions.  If the weather goes beyond the norm, the facade will respond by deviating from its preset programme to offset the impact of the unusual conditions outside.  The engineers estimate that this kinetic and responsive facade, which is controlled automatically by a system that processes information from sensors measuring light and wind-speed, will reduce the building’s electricity consumption and carbon emissions by 20%.

Quick Facts ICHQ Building

• Project Name: Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters
• Type of Project: Commercial Offices
• 25 storeys + 2 Basement levels, Ground, Podium, Mezzanine and Crown-Levels
• 147 m high
• Size: 75000 sqm total built-up area
• Owner: AD Investment Council
• Design Architect: Aedas
• Main Contractor: Al-Futtaim Carillion
• Parametric and Building-Information Modeling (BIM): Gehry Technologies

Figure 2: ADIC towers under construction

Designing Parametric Origami: the unfolding of the “Mashrabiya”

The Mashrabiya is a modular, dynamic, solar shading system comprising 1049 modules per tower that individually open and close in response to the movement of the sun throughout the course of a day. The opening mechanism, a linear screw-jack actuator and electric motor, in the center of each module that causes the triangular facets of the Mashrabiya to fold into the center, is automatically controlled by a Building Management System (BMS) that computes the state of each module in response to data sent by light sensors and anemometers—sensors for measuring wind speed. Instead of a binary “on-off” condition, each module in the facade varies smoothly between the open and closed states, allowing the facade to obtain an optimal balance between outside conditions and interior requirements throughout the building’s floor plan.

 The Mashrabiya effectively forms a second skin around the building that reduces solar gain and enhances energy efficiency. It regulates the sunlight and glare entering the buildings, improving comfort conditions inside, and avoiding the dark glazing—common in Middle Eastern buildings—that greatly reduces interior sunlight regardless of the light conditions outside. Moreover, given the great deal of energy that goes into thermal control, the facade is expected to significantly reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions of the building—by around 20%—by smartly controlling the solar gain.

Figure 3: Parametric Mashrabiya Model

The design of the Mashrabiya facade’s physical structure—and behavior—was shaped by parametric technologies and processes. During the competition stage the architects wrote algorithms to describe the geometry of the Mashrabiya facade within traditional CAD systems. Immediately after, during the development stages, the definition of the mechanical and kinematic details of the modules demanded a more robust approach. Parametric modeling environments were key to develop the proof of concept critical to advance the project. An important aspect of this stage was to parametrically capture the movement of the module from the open to the closed states (See Figure 3). The parametric modeling team iterated over the module’s design with architecture and engineering teams until reaching an optimal solution.

Figure 4

At the module level the team of BIM consultants developed detailed parametric models to account for the unique motion of the components. At the facade level the by-product of the parametric model allowed studies to be conducted to test the lighting performance, energy performance, and the facade’s open vs. closed optimization. These studies fed back to the module, helping designers realize how even very small changes in the module—perhaps of only a few millimeters—affected the overall energy performance of the facade. Moreover, the BIM consultants developed computational methods of surface evaluation that helped designers optimize the size and shape of the glazing elements to maximize flatness and rectangularity of glass—a crucial budget factor.

 

Figure 5: ‘intelligent connection’ to resolve non-repetitive details

Script-based parametric design

 The shape of the ICHQ towers is deceivingly simple. Rather than a perfect circumference, the tower’s floor plan follows a series of arches varying subtly from floor to floor. As a result, the connections between the casings of the hexagonal honeycomb steel structure members that support the facade are different at each point along the perimeter of the building. In order to avoid clashes between the casings—and between the casings and each floor’s ceilings—and produce accurate descriptions for the fabricators, the team of BIM consultants developed intelligent connections that automatically measure the angle at the joint and check for potential clashes, rotating and trimming its pieces accordingly (See Figure 5). By analyzing the ratio of rotated elements throughout the facade in different scenarios, and the global amount of rotation, the team of BIM consultants was able to fine-tune the behavior of the intelligent connection to simplify both fabrication and assembly (See Figure 6). Similarly, the team developed intelligent connections between the interior facades and the radial partition walls. The connections measured the angle between the facade and the partition walls and adjusted automatically to their particular condition. When these “smart” models were placed in its specific location in the facade, both the structure and the partition connections were updated and the extraction of data to support shop-drawings was automated: accelerating the flow of  information to the fabricator (See Figure 7).

Figure 6: Measuring performance in terms of required rotation.

Figure 7: Automatically generated unfold fabrication drawings for column casings

Figure 8: Visual Mockup and testing the Mashrabiya operation

 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Abu+Dhabi+Investment+Council+Headquarters+construction+pictures&view=detail&id=98623CDB9E12CD83E0A339A66756615144BAA0C0&first=61&FORM=IDFRIR

 

From: Harish Desai <hary.desai@...>
Subject: [engineeringcivil] Re: looking for a job in civil engineering field
To: engineeringcivil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, November 23, 2012, 10:27 AM

kind attn. friends, i am a degree civil engineer with 15 years of experience and a diploma in construction contracts management from nicmar sode. i wish to find a job in my field. please go through my profile on www.linkedin.com website. further please get in touch with me on 09867150876 for discussions. alternatively email me on the above email id.   thanks and regards,   HARISH DESAI CIVIL ENGINEER CUM CONTENT WRITER hary.desai@... --- On Sun, 21/10/12, Asjid <asjid@...> wrote: From: Asjid <asjid@...> Subject: [engineeringcivil] Case Study : The Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters' Dynamic Facade --- Series of Amazing Construction, just for educational purposes To: engineeringcivil@yahoogroups.com Date: Sunday, 21 October, 2012, 3:45 PM   (Have a look when you have free time)   Series of Amazing Construction, just for educational purposes Desert-smart towers carry their own sunscreen Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters Building Case Study : The Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters’ Dynamic Facade Figure 1: Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters Parametric modelling and BIM processes supported the design, coordination and construction of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council Headquarters (ICHQ), still under construction in the UAE. This case study focuses on critical challenges faced in the design, construction and future operation of the dynamic “Mashrabiya” façade. It demonstrates how parametric modelling can be used to tune the complexities of an optimal, energy-efficient design so that it also takes into account the constraints and imitations of fabrication.  This multi-dimensional, non-linear approach, enabled by parametric modelling, informs and enhances the design process resulting in more compelling and energy-efficient links between the built and natural environment.  The Headquarters for the Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ICHQ) is a 147m high twin-tower development located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. One tower will be occupied by Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), and the other by Al Hilal Bank. In an innovative and captivating gesture to moderate the impact of the severe climate, the architects (AEDAS) conceived a kinetic facade composed of elements that fold like origami in response to external changes in light and wind. The modules—called “Mashrabiya” by the design team in a nod to Islamic culture—make a responsive shading system that variably filters the light and heat entering the building at all times during the day. The facade even has the “intelligence” to react to unusual weather conditions.  If the weather goes beyond the norm, the facade will respond by deviating from its preset programme to offset the impact of the unusual conditions outside.  The engineers estimate that this kinetic and responsive facade, which is controlled automatically by a system that processes information from sensors measuring light and wind-speed, will reduce the building’s electricity consumption and carbon emissions by 20%. Quick Facts ICHQ Building Project Name: Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) Headquarters Type of Project: Commercial Offices 25 storeys + 2 Basement levels, Ground, Podium, Mezzanine and Crown-Levels 147 m high Size: 75000 sqm total built-up area Owner: AD Investment Council Design Architect: Aedas Main Contractor: Al-Futtaim Carillion Parametric and Building-Information Modeling (BIM): Gehry Technologies Figure 2: ADIC towers under construction Designing Parametric Origami: the unfolding of the “Mashrabiya” The Mashrabiya is a modular, dynamic, solar shading system comprising 1049 modules per tower that individually open and close in response to the movement of the sun throughout the course of a day. The opening mechanism, a linear screw-jack actuator and electric motor, in the center of each module that causes the triangular facets of the Mashrabiya to fold into the center, is automatically controlled by a Building Management System (BMS) that computes the state of each module in response to data sent by light sensors and anemometers—sensors for measuring wind speed. Instead of a binary “on-off” condition, each module in the facade varies smoothly between the open and closed states, allowing the facade to obtain an optimal balance between outside conditions and interior requirements throughout the building’s floor plan.  The Mashrabiya effectively forms a second skin around the building that reduces solar gain and enhances energy efficiency. It regulates the sunlight and glare entering the buildings, improving comfort conditions inside, and avoiding the dark glazing—common in Middle Eastern buildings—that greatly reduces interior sunlight regardless of the light conditions outside. Moreover, given the great deal of energy that goes into thermal control, the facade is expected to significantly reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions of the building—by around 20%—by smartly controlling the solar gain. Figure 3: Parametric Mashrabiya Model The design of the Mashrabiya facade’s physical structure—and behavior—was shaped by parametric technologies and processes. During the competition stage the architects wrote algorithms to describe the geometry of the Mashrabiya facade within traditional CAD systems. Immediately after, during the development stages, the definition of the mechanical and kinematic details of the modules demanded a more robust approach. Parametric modeling environments were key to develop the proof of concept critical to advance the project. An important aspect of this stage was to parametrically capture the movement of the module from the open to the closed states (See Figure 3). The parametric modeling team iterated over the module’s design with architecture and engineering teams until reaching an optimal solution. Figure 4 At the module level the team of BIM consultants developed detailed parametric models to account for the unique motion of the components. At the facade level the by-product of the parametric model allowed studies to be conducted to test the lighting performance, energy performance, and the facade’s open vs. closed optimization. These studies fed back to the module, helping designers realize how even very small changes in the module—perhaps of only a few millimeters—affected the overall energy performance of the facade. Moreover, the BIM consultants developed computational methods of surface evaluation that helped designers optimize the size and shape of the glazing elements to maximize flatness and rectangularity of glass—a crucial budget factor.   Figure 5: ‘intelligent connection’ to resolve non-repetitive details Script-based parametric design  The shape of the ICHQ towers is deceivingly simple. Rather than a perfect circumference, the tower’s floor plan follows a series of arches varying subtly from floor to floor. As a result, the connections between the casings of the hexagonal honeycomb steel structure members that support the facade are different at each point along the perimeter of the building. In order to avoid clashes between the casings—and between the casings and each floor’s ceilings—and produce accurate descriptions for the fabricators, the team of BIM consultants developed intelligent connections that automatically measure the angle at the joint and check for potential clashes, rotating and trimming its pieces accordingly (See Figure 5). By analyzing the ratio of rotated elements throughout the facade in different scenarios, and the global amount of rotation, the team of BIM consultants was able to fine-tune the behavior of the intelligent connection to simplify both fabrication and assembly (See Figure 6). Similarly, the team developed intelligent connections between the interior facades and the radial partition walls. The connections measured the angle between the facade and the partition walls and adjusted automatically to their particular condition. When these “smart” models were placed in its specific location in the facade, both the structure and the partition connections were updated and the extraction of data to support shop-drawings was automated: accelerating the flow of  information to the fabricator (See Figure 7). Figure 6: Measuring performance in terms of required rotation. Figure 7: Automatically generated unfold fabrication drawings for column casings Figure 8: Visual Mockup and testing the Mashrabiya operation   http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Abu+Dhabi+Investment+Council+Headquarters+construction+pictures&view=detail&id=98623CDB9E12CD83E0A339A66756615144BAA0C0&first=61&FORM=IDFRIR