The electron microscope laboratories unit
houses microscopes which require onerous
internal environmental conditions. Specifications
called for a relative humidity of <20% at 22Cº,
an air flow rate of less than 5m per minute and a
temperature change of less than 0.1Cº per minute.
A radiant cooling system was designed using
chilled water, reticulated through capillary mats,
plastered into the walls of each room to ensure
that the strict requirements were met.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING REPORT
Sutherland provided Structural Engineering
services during construction and the design
development stage of the New Engineering
Building project.
The structure is characterised by large
cantilevers and open column free spaces. Along the
elevation adjacent to the new parking, constructed
with permeable pavers overlaying an attenuation
pond, boxed structures extend beyond support
lines and float over the main walkway linking
Engineering Building
Ring Road to the New Engineering Building. The
structures are framed in concrete and clad with
a steel frame encased in wedi board to form a
blade-like façade element.
Challenges and Solutions
Internally, the large open atrium space, naturally
lit by shafts of light passing through the sawtooth roof structure above, created a structural
challenge as it cut off all continuity of slabs and
resulted in end support spans of up to 13m.
Sutherland tested numerous slab systems to
determine the optimal solution for this unusual
configuration of floor plates. In the end, a trough
slab was selected due to the single spanning
nature of the slab panels, its superior stiffness
vs. self-weight characteristics and the overall
economy of design.
Further challenges included the strong floors
built within the test labs and the construction of
a basement level directly in front of the toe of an
existing eight meter high retaining wall bordering
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