fibUK: tall concrete buildings

Author: Various

Date published

26 June 2025

Price
Free

fibUK: tall concrete buildings

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

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