fibUK: tall concrete buildings

Author: Various

Date published

26 June 2025

Price
Free
The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers
fibUK: tall concrete buildings

fibUK: tall concrete buildings

Tag
Author
Date published
Price
Guidance
Author

Various

Date published

26 June 2025

Author

Various

Price

Free

This fibUK lecture unveiled the processes and challenges behind designing tall buildings, focusing on foundation construction, basement design and integrating existing infrastructure at high levels.


Experts covered


Design of transfer slab structures for shear, Jiayu Long

Transfer slabs are widely used in multistorey buildings to support planted columns where architectural requirements lead to changes in the column layout between floors. The design for shear at offset columns is complex, with potential failure modes including punching shear, linear shear and a combination of both.

This presentation discusses the design of transfer structures with clear gap between planted column and adjacent supporting column of at least twice the slab effective depth. References are made to both EC2:2004 and EC2:2023. Comparisons are made between upper column failure loads determined using nonlinear finite element analysis with 3D solid elements and EC2 with shear field analysis. Based on these comparisons, the presentation makes practical design recommendations.

Bankside Yards West - Opus, Christian Tygoer

Bankside Yards is a major mixed-use development on London’s South Bank, delivered in multiple phases. The masterplan comprises nine buildings, incorporating residential, office, retail, and public realm spaces. The site spans two plots: Bankside Yards West and Bankside Yards East.

This presentation focuses on the design and construction of the basement box within the Bankside Yards West development, and Opus, the residential tower comprising of 53 storeys, including four basement levels.

One Nine Elms, Pawel Gryba

One Nine Elms is a landmark mixed-use development situated near Vauxhall Circus. It is characterised by its two sleek, glass-clad towers, the tallest of which soars to 208m over 58 storeys. The development combines residential, commercial, and leisure spaces into one dynamic urban oasis.

This presentation focuses on the design of two towers and the complex basement and foundation structure. It discusses the key engineering challenge of the project: the design of the foundation atop a scour feature and two-storey basement, while integrating a large Victorian trunk sewer at a high level.

fibUK: tall concrete buildings

Speakers

Jiayu Long
Jiayu Long
PhD student, Imperial College London

Jiayu Long is a PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London under the joint supervision of Professors Robert Vollum and Lorenzo Macorini. Jiayu holds an MEng Degree from Imperial College London. His research focuses on the design of transfer slabs for shear. He is currently a teaching assistant for Structural Mechanics and Computational Methods at Imperial College London.

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Christian Tygoer
Christian Tygoer
Technical Director, AKT II

Christian Tygoer is a Technical Director at AKT II with over 20 years of experience in structural engineering. A graduate of the Technical University of Berlin, he brings deep expertise in concrete design, finite element analysis and automation to drive innovation and efficiency in structural engineering.

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Pawel Gryba
Pawel Gryba
Project Director, AKT II

Pawel is an experienced structural engineer and Project Director at AKT II, with 15 years' experience in the design and management of large, complex, mixed-use developments across London. With a Master's degree from Wroclaw University of Technology, he has built a strong technical foundation that underpins his innovative approach to solving technical challenges.

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Corin Walford
Corin Walford
Lecture chair

Corin is a Chartered Civil Engineer, specialising in the management and construction of reinforced concrete structures within the buildings and infrastructure sectors. He has worked for the contractor Laing O’Rourke for over 15 years, on projects including the Leadenhall Building, Hinkley Point C, and Old Oak Common HS2 Station. He is the current Deputy Chair of fibUK. His professional interests include construction simulation, DfMA and modular engineering, nuclear construction, sustainable concrete design, construction methods and temporary works.

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