WILLIS TOWERpresentation PDF
WILLIS TOWERpresentation PDF
WILLIS TOWERpresentation PDF
Sara Calvin, Sarah Gambino, Kate Jackson, Neethi Joseph, Sakina Rangwala, Heather White 1
Project Background
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Site area: 3 acres
Building area: 4,565,844 sq.ft.
Height: 1450 ft, 1730 ft including
twin antennae
Number of stories: 110
Architect and Structural engineers:
SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)
Year of construction: 1974
Building use: Commercial + office
"Sears Tower was the last supertall building constructed during the International architecture period,
and SOM's interpretation of the style is remarkably bold and awe-inspiring."
Fazlur Khan
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Timeline
5
Political Background
● Naming rights:
○ Named ‘Sears Tower’ when built by Sears
○ Changed to ‘Willis Tower’ on July 16, 2009 by Willis Group Holdings, Ltd.
○ Naming rights valid for 15 years
● Major tenants:
○ United Airlines - 20 floors
○ Willis Group
○ Law firms of Schiff Hardin and Seyfarth Shaw
○ Morgan Stanley (4th largest tenant by 2020)
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Program and Function
Design Phase They were only looking to occupy
half the building. The upper half
Sears was the biggest retailer. So, its was leased to tenants.
headquarters had to be BIG.
● Offices
● Primary dining club
● Conference facilities
● U.S. Post office
● Retail stores
● Restaurants
● 796 labs
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Site
● 3 acres
● Public transportation - access
to suburban railroads and bus
network.
Now:
● Global Ranking #17
Tallest in the World
● National Ranking #2
Tallest in United States
● City Ranking #1 Tallest in
Chicago “Willis Tower.” The Skyscraper Center,
www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/willis-tower/169. 9
GmbH, Emporis. “Emporis.” Buildings | EMPORIS, www.emporis.com/statistics/history-of-worlds-tallest-buildings. 10
Building Codes
● Revised the zoning ordinance
○ allowed a building height to be sixteen times the area of the lot.
● Due to cracks and window blowouts caused by extremely high winds in 1988,
renovations were made to bring the building up to code during the 1990s.
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Materials
● Structural steel
● Cladding : black aluminium structure and
bronze tinted vision glass panels
○ allowed natural lighting of the building and views from
all exterior walls
○ Acts as insulation between exterior and interior,
maintaining a relatively constant temperature, which
helps in minimizing the expansion and contraction of
the frame.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/buildings/chicago/searstower.htm 12
Structural system
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Structural system
● Tube construction
● Internal support columns and bracing.
● The frame system is not efficient for larger
heights due to large quantity of steel required.
● Khan used the perimeter tube structures instead
of a central core.
https://www.som.com/projects/willis_tower_formerly_sears_tower__structural_engineering 14
● Bundled tubes
● The first building to use tube design
● Staggered effect
● Advantages
MSFTV3. YouTube. July 10, 2015. Accessed November 23, 2018. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rm1GiS6Rjc.
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Service floors
● Floors 29-33
● Floors 64-66
● Floors 88-90
● Floors 104-109
https://hum3d.com/3d-models/willis-tower/ 19
Substructure: Foundation
22
Structural Elements
● Independently strong
● Truss connections
● Spandrel beams
● Trussed levels also contain mechanical systems http://www.thesearstower.com/building-information/history-and-facts/
○ Hidden in facade
○ Louvres mask the structural details
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/sears-tower-willis-tower
/#lg=1&slide=27
file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/som_str
uctural_brochure_web.pdf
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Slab Girder Column
Gravity Loads
L =50psf (office)
+20psf (partition)
D =20psf
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Typical Girder (Interior)
1.2D+1.6L wu=2.04 k/ft
Deflected Shape
28
Typical Span
Axial A_col=33.4 k
V_beam=17.5 k
Shear
M_beam=74.2 k-ft
Moment M_col=40.5 k-ft
Deflected
Shape
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Typical Span w/
Diagonal Bracing
Axial A_col= 25.4 k
M_beam= 76.5k-ft
Moment M_col= 38.3 k-ft
Deflected
Shape
30
Overall
31
Lateral Loads
32
Frame Action Truss Belt
Axial
Shear
Moment
Deflected
Shape
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Challenges Faced
● Transportation
● Drastic temperature changes
● Heavy loads due to service floors
● Non-fatal and fatal accidents
● Leans 6 inches
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In Conclusion...
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References
● Ali, Mir M., and Kyoung Sun Moon. "Advances in Structural Systems for Tall Buildings: Emerging Developments for Contemporary Urban
Giants." MDPI. August 10, 2018. Accessed November 23, 2018. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/8/8/104/htm.
● Grimes, William. "Bruce J. Graham, Chicago Architect Who Designed Sears Tower, Dies at 84." The New York Times. March 10, 2010.
Accessed November 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/arts/design/10graham.html.
● Hunt, Maria. "SEASICKNESS, FEAR AT SEARS TOWER." Chicago Tribune. April 07, 1988. Accessed November 20, 2018.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-04-07-8803060923-story.html.
● MSFTV3. YouTube. July 10, 2015. Accessed November 23, 2018. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rm1GiS6Rjc.
● Perez, Adelyn. "AD Classics: Willis Tower (Sears Tower) / SOM." ArchDaily. June 01, 2010. Accessed November 23, 2018.
https://www.archdaily.com/62410/ad-classics-willis-tower-sears-tower-skidmore-owings-merrill.
● "Sears Tower - Willis Tower - Data, Photos & Plans." WikiArquitectura. Accessed November 23, 2018.
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/sears-tower-willis-tower/.
● "Sears Tower (currently Willis Tower)." Princeton University. Accessed November 23, 2018. http://khan.princeton.edu/khanSears.html
● Sommerlad, Joe. "Five Things You Need to Know about Pioneering Architect Fazlur Rahman Khan." The Independent. April 03, 2017. Accessed
November 23, 2018.
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/fazlur-rahman-khan-skycraper-architect-engineer-google-doodle-willis-tower-john-hancock
-bangladeshi-a7663926.html.
● "Truth in Tall Buildings." Princeton University. Accessed November 23, 2018. http://khan.princeton.edu/463.pdf
● "Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) – Structural Engineering." SOM. Accessed November 23, 2018.
https://www.som.com/projects/willis_tower_formerly_sears_tower__structural_engineering.
● "Willis Tower Sears Tower Construction Essay." All Answers Ltd. ukessays.com, November 2013. Accessed November 23, 2018.
https://www.uniassignment.com/essay-samples/construction/willis-tower-sears-tower-construction-essay.php?vref=1.
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