MAJOR PROJECT MODEL

The model represents a corner of the warehouse. Inspired by Gehry to design a warehouse with higher aesthetics. The standard portal frame structure has been used as a prop for the metallic skin to flow and create a dynamic surface for the buildings exterior.

Curved UB 200 are braced by 100 EA attached to cleats welded at approx 2m centres. 100C purlins are fixed to cleats welded(glued) to the flange at 500mm centres to allow fixing og the sisalation, insulation, corrugated walling, plywood and finally the 550mm x 950mm (500mm x 900mm exposed) stainless steel panels.

MAJOR PROJECT

The Gehry inspired warehouse and showroom model was built with cardboard and balsa wood. The cuved section of the steel columns was cut first and the webs added at a later stage.

Gehry uses layers of corrugated walling topped with plywood prior to finishing with his trademark metallic skin of stainless steel or titanium. This layering has been represented in the model.

The curved columns are separate but braced from the main portal frame structure. Each column is well braced with 100mm equal angles formed in a cross.

COLD FORMED PORTAL FRAME

The cold formed portal frame rafter is lighter than the hot rolled section. This enables the roof structure to lifted in place by a crane and therefore it can be assembled on the slab where labour costs and safety are advantageous.

MITRE 10 Anakie Road

This photo indicates a step between the steel walling and concrete panel lean to section. The UB column has a circular hollow section bracing tie. The UB and haunch are rigidly connected to the column. The raking parallel channel is fixed to the UB column. Both the column and the rafters are braced using rod fixed through the column and the rafter flanges.

The lean to roof rafters are connected to the main rafter via cleats welded to the UB flanges and boltes to the web of the vertical UB dropper which is welded at a mitre joint to the UB rafter. This is inturn braced to the roof via an angle.

REECE PLUMBING

Reece plumbing in North Geelong is a skillion type portal frame building where the roof pitches in one direction with a span of 15m - 20m.

The UB rafters are rigidly fixed to the columns using plates welded to the end of the rafter and bolted.

Diagonal rod bracing penetrate the web of the UB rafter and is tensioned by a bracket on the other side of the flange.

Lighter gauge C purlins fixed to cleats welded to the top flange of the UB rafter support safety mesh, sarking and the roofing.

Each of the columns is tied to each other using a Parallel Flange Channel PFC bolted to a cleat welded to the web of the column. This ensures that the portal frame is braced in both directions and beding moments are transfered to the bracing bay.

Equal angel fly bracing fixed to a cleat welded to the web of the UB rafter helps to stabilse the UB and prevent it from twisting mid point and aid in the longitudinal bracing of the portal frame.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

The Melbourne Recital Centre is a 1000 seat theatre designed by Ashton Raggatt McDougal. The Steel and concrete construction is scheduled for completion in 2009. The main hall is constructed with a steel frame and clad with precast concrete panels.

BORAL PARTIWALL

Boral Parti Wall is a 25mm fire resistant plasterboard that is ideal for Multi Residential Timber Framed construction. Rather than a layer of 16mm firestop plasterboard on each stud wall a single 25mm layer in the cavity between two stud walls is used. The system has proven itself when a unit was set alight while under construction. The adjoining unit was saved from the fire.

The partiwall is slotted together rather than the traditional taped system.

DEUTSCHE BANK PLACE

Deutsche Bank Place in Sydney designed by Foster and Partners with assistance from Hassell architects. The multi storey building was designed to cater for new work styles that are more dynamic and less hierarchical. Therefore a larger open plan was required.

The largest single span in Australia was created the floor plates are 21m x 64m. The view across the floor of the 1200m2 is apparently breathtaking.

Article courtesy of Architecture Australia JULY/AUGUST 2006

MAQUETTE

The maquette model was used to develop the complex curved design. Only one model was made for the factory however Gehry makes numerous models before committing to CAD.

DESIGN

The layout of the site was drafted in AutoCAD. Sketch design overlays of the building were created and developed. Gehry tends to focus on the front of the building highlighting the entry with a large sign or tall flowing glass port cochere and creating a distinct front and back.

The showroom is the highlight of the facade however the flowing curved meld with the factory portal frame like a octupus spreading its tentacles.

A cardboard maquette at 1:500 scale was created to further develop the form.

The maquette was then scanned with a HP scanner so that the warehouse form could be drawn in AutoCAD.

RICHARD B. FISHER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

While the Bilbao Guggenhiem Museum is possibly Gehry's most notable work The Richard B. Fisher Center for the performing arts with its exposed steel work shows how a humble portal frame could evolve into work of architecture.

FRANK O.GEHRY

Frank Owen Gehry (Goldberg) was born in Toronto Canada 28.02.29 and moved to Los Angeles in 1947 where he studied Architecture at the University of Southern California and City Planning at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

His practice Gehry Partners based in L.A.has a staff of over 175. Gehry's work generally consists of flowing organic forms finished in a stainless steel or titanium skin. The work is sculptural however it has drawn criticism for not respecting the surrounding landscape.

The complex forms are modelled manually from Gehrys initial sketches. Numerous models are made before the final model is laser scanned and developed in a 3D package based on CATIA which Gehry has developed and now markets as digital project from the company Gehry Technologies.

Student licences of the digital project are available if university registers with Gehry Technologies !!!!

MAJOR PROJECT ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY

The Guggenhiem Museum - Bilbao (Michael McMullan)

Inspired by a visit to the Guggenhiem - Bibao, Spain in September 2005 and a love of aviation and metal I have chosen Frank Gehry as my lead architect for the Major Project.
















The Weisman Art Museum - Minneapolis, Minnesota (www.greatbuildingsonline.com)

ROOF STEP - EAVES GUTTER

Step in roof between two parts of the warehouse complex. With an eaves gutter instead of a box gutter there is less risk of water overflowing into the building.

GABLE END PARAPET

A concrete panel parapet detail at the "gable end".

A warehouse with an exposed gutter at the junction of a concrete wall panel. This gutter offers greater protection from water inundation than a box gutter.

CANOPY BOX GUTTER

Box Gutter at the junction of inward sloping canopy and a wall of a warehouse.

GRAND CANYON SKYWALK

The new skywalk at the grand canyon is a continous steel beam cantilevered over the gorge. See the article in The Age.

OFFICE WAREHOUSE BONDEK SLAB

PORTAL FRAME DRAWING 2

Portal Frame end wall section with lean to roof, manually drawn with tech pens.

CELEBRATION OF STEEL

While not strictly a work of architecture the Sydney Harbour Bridge is an example of the practical and aesthetically pleasing aspects of steel. The 75th anniversary shows how a well designed structure can become an important cultural icon. Interesting footage can be seen at The Age

PORTAL FRAME DRAWING

ROOF BRACING

The galvanised strap bracing is fixed at each end and tensioned with turnbuckles. However the bracing crosses over wihout the use of a compression device. A compression ring appears to be an uncommon practice from sites viewed using mild steel rod bracing.

RIDGE JOINT - ROOF BRACING

The ridge is stiffened with a galvanised mild steel gussett plate to each web of the rafters. The bracing is flat strap or bar (not rod) tensioned by turnbuckles. The bar is directly fixed to the channel and gusset flange.

KNEE JOINT

Both the column and the rafters are made from two back to back cold formed C channels bolted together. The joint is a single piece hot dipped galvanised steel C channel gussets fitted inside the cold formed C channels and bolted through the webs. The gusset plates have stiffening. A cold formed C section tie is bolted to the cleat welded to the gusset plate.

FOOTING CONNECTION

The columns or stanchion is connected to the concrete reinforced footing with a hot dipped galvanised angle bracket placed each side of the webs. Note that a UB is made from two back to back C section channels.

FRAMING SYSTEM

The internal framing system is a portal frame, however instead of a hot rolled section the frame uses a cold formed UB section strengthened with hot dipped galvanised gusset plates bolted to each face of the cold formed UB's web section at each the main bending moment junctions. The system has been produced by local company GALFRAME .

LOCATION

VIEW OF CORNER SHOWROOM

The site is situated on the corner of Edols and Cowies Streets, North Geelong in an industrial zone adjacent to Deppeler Park refer to this Google Map . The building consists of unit factories in various stages of construction. As of 7th March 2007 the building has all of the tilt panels in place and roofing to factories is moving to lock up stage.