Commerzbank Architect: Sir Norman Foster and Partners City:Frankfurt Country: Germany Client: Commerzbank Ag Structural Engineer : OveArup& Partners Year Completed : May,1997 Occupancy Type: Office Construction type: Mixed(reinforced concrete foundation,steel frame with vierendeelprinciple) Height: 258.7 metres(853.71 feet);298.74 metres(985.8 feet) uptothe top of Antenna Stories: 63 Area: 120,736 sqm(1,314,815 sq ft) The commerzbank is the worl’s first ecological office tower and the tallest in Europe Commerzbank Demostration: sustainability in high rise scale Project Introduction Triangular structure: estability Cores in the corners: open plans without columns. the central part of the building is released resulting in an atrium Every floor has 3 wings,two are for offices and the other one is part of the sky garden. Always the offices have visual connection to the gardens. Commerzbank Organization plan floor equilateral triangle ( aprox.64 m)with rounded corners and slightly convex sides. • The three cores are organized around the atrio. • Each floor has 3 wings , 2 for offices and one for the “skygarden” • The vertical connection is situated in the cores, lifts and stairscase. • Commerzbank Vertical transportation In each core the passenger lift serve a distinct group of floors. • The service and firemen’s liffs in the north and west cores stop at everylevel. • There are interchanges between levels 7,19 and 35 for simplifying thr worker’s people the movement between floors. • Commerzbank Structure development Corner colums: carry concentrated gravity load to ground. Vierendeel trusses support gravity loads from winter gardens and floors Vierendeel trusses resist lateral wind loads Continuous floors every four floors provide stiffness and stability Commerzbank Structure development Structure squem Commerzbank Structure development Floor structure Resisting gravitational loads. • The structure pushed loads to the perimeter. T hen basically supported by the corner columns and the vierendeel frame. • Commerzbank Structure development Structure Core column Every core contain two columns. •Every column are made up of two Hsection vertical steel pieces that are connected by beams and diagonal bracing. •Enclosed in reinforced concrete • Commerzbank Structure development Structure Vierendeel frame Eight horizontal elements and four vertical that distribute loads equally. •Horizontal correspond with floors level, resistence to wind loads. •Vertical elements should be equal for wind load distribution but fos supporting gravity load should be concentrated at the cornes • Commerzbank Structure development Structure atrium The atrium is defined by a secondary structure that supports the inside edges of the floors. •The vertical element links the 8 beams for sharing the loads of each floor. • Commerzbank Enviromental strategies Sky garden Sky gardens occupy three different faces, which all have distinct solar orientations. Different climates would be required to respond to the varying levels of solar exposure. The Sky garden is aplace to relax during breaks and enrich the workplace atmosphere.It become a social cohesion point . Commerzbank Enviromental strategies Natural ventilation While the majority of modern skyscrapers rely heavily on the use of massive mechanical systems to heat, cool, and circulate air within the building Air is transport ed through the atrium by the qualities of natural All the airflow offices have access to natural Less CO2 ventilatio Save Energy and money Natural ventilation os different depending on the seasons. Winter: sky gardens are closed to heat . The warm rises up the building for natural ventilation Commerzbank Enviromental strategies The penetration of light into the central space of the building’s atrium in the morning and afternoon during both summer and winter the sun . When is low in the sky, light penetrates the facades of the winter gardens. Commerzbank Enviromental strategies Thermal,Instalations Conventional Heating: When conditions are too cold for passive strategies to be an effective means for creating thermal comfort Passive solar: when heating is desired direct and indirect solar gain throughout. Air conditioning: when conditions are so warm for passive strategies.Only use 160 days per year Commerzbank Construction Fundations The 111 piles are concentrated in the corners for support the load of the six mega columns in the corners. Due to the porosity of the limestone bed over 2,000 tones of concrete was injected into the subsoil around the piles strengthening Commerzbank Construction Cornes cores The steel colums reinforced with concrete. •Corner clading • Commerzbank Construction concrete acts both as fire protection for the steel and as a water barrio to protect it from corrosion. 1Toughened White Glass Panels 2 Waterproofing Membrane 3Reinforced Concrete 4Vierendeel Frame Frame constructi on concrete can be poured while steel frame is still being constructed above it. wind vibration in the structure is lower Bibliography Buchanan, Peter. “Reinventing the SkyScraper.” A and U. no 329, February 1998. 30-67. “Commerzbank-Zentrale in Frankfurt am Main.” Baumeister. May 1997. 18-27. Evans, Barrie. “Banking on Ventilation.” AJ Building Study. Februdary 1997. Foster, Norman and Partners. “Commerzbank.” http://www.fosterandpartners.com