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The Square, Palmerston North - Structural Concepts Ltd

The Square, Palmerston North.  This building had a low %NBS and required strengthening, it had a non-ductile concrete frame and short columns around the perimeter due to the spandrel beams above the windows.  My scheme was to install new limited ductile concrete coupled shear walls and coupling beams to control the seismic storey drift of the building and hence reduce the moments on the existing frame.  Also all the perimeter columns were strengthened with steel backing columns and modelled as failing as these were too short and still attracted to much force (but the steel columns would take over the gravity load if failure occurred).  The coupled shear walls had massive 1.6m deep foundation beams also held down with 15m deep grouted tension piles from 48mm diameter high tensile strand.  The building strengthening was designed to 100%NBS or as near as practically possible.
The Square, Palmerston North - Structural Concepts Ltd
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The Square, Palmerston North - Structural Concepts Ltd

The Square, Palmerston North.

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