Cira Centre South
STRUCTURAL LOADS
Loading Diagram:
The figure to the right shows the flow of the forces in the structural members of FMC Tower. Most of the highlighted red members are carrying stresses throughout the structure, while blue tinted members take lesser to no loads.
The central concrete core in the building carries much of the compressive force down through the structure to the main foundations. Members on the outside perimeter of the structure can potentially carry both compression and tension forces as wind loads apply moments to the structure. As such, the outer frame on the office floors is primarily steel construction to take these various tensile/compressive stresses, while the lighter upper residential tower is concrete.
The foundation of the structure extends into several deep caissons under the main slab to support the large load of the high-rise in a relatively poor foundation soil area.
Loading Calculations:
The tables below demonstrate how approximate wind, dead, live, and superimposed dead loads were determined for the structure. The loads were derived using the structural plans. The total load on the foundations was calculated to be around 1,520 PSF. This was determined by summing the live, dead, and superimposed dead loads and diving that total load by the building footprint.
