Sheffield University's new Diamond building benefits from post-tensioning

Author: Adam Sweet

Date published

1 March 2018

Price

Standard: £10 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

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Sheffield University's new Diamond building benefits from post-tensioning

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Author
Adam Sweet
Date published
1 March 2018
Price

Standard: £10 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

The Structural Engineer
Author

Adam Sweet

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 96, Issue 3, 2018, Page(s) 16-21

Date published

1 March 2018

Author

Adam Sweet

Citation

The Structural Engineer, Volume 96, Issue 3, 2018, Page(s) 16-21

Price

Standard: £10 + VAT
Members/Subscribers: Free

This paper by Adam Sweet explores the approach of re-engineering key elements of the University of Sheffield's £81M 'Diamond' building with post-tensioned concrete solutions.

Synopsis
While the term 'value engineering' has become synonymous with reducing costs, CCL's approach to re-engineering key elements of the University of Sheffield’s £81M 'Diamond' building with post-tensioned
concrete solutions demonstrates the potential added value of re-examining the original specification.

Replacement of the specified voided concrete slabs with post-tensioned slabs for levels 1–4 and the roof level not only saved £0.75M in costs on the project, but also saved time within the programme, reduced the amount of materials required for the build and enabled a shallower slab depth. This increased the ceiling void depth below, thereby aiding co-ordination of the building services installation by allowing simplification of cable and pipework layouts.

Re-engineering of the proposed steel transfer structures beneath the level 1 slab, with a post-tensioned concrete alternative, helped to overcome buildability, logistical and cost challenges, while creating a design feature aligned to the architect's aesthetic and conceptual vision.

A building with ambitious design criteria and multiple technical challenges, the Diamond is a landmark scheme, both for Sheffield and for the higher education sector, which demonstrates the benefits of post-tensioned concrete.

Additional information

Format:
PDF
Pages:
16-21
Publisher:
The Institution of Structural Engineers

Tags

Concrete - prestressed Project Focus Issue 3

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