Prefabricated concrete structure of a residential complex in Tallinn
About the project
Kalaranna District is a modern residential area on six hectares comprised of 12 residential buildings with restaurants and commercial spaces, all linked by an underground parking lot. The third stage, including four five-story buildings, of the giant project was assigned to the structural company Innopolis Insenerid OÜ.
The vertical load-bearing system is composed of prefabricated concrete walls with general shapes, while the horizontal load-bearing systems consist of hollow core slabs supported by prefabricated elements or steel elements. Several buildings face the street, requiring code checks for potential car crashes and their impact on structural integrity.
\[ \textsf{\textit{\footnotesize{Architectural visualization of the Kalaranna District}}}\]
Estonia
Engineering challenges
One of the main engineering challenges was managing the discontinuity of walls, particularly where openings for HVAC systems created weak points in the design. The project also included unusually tall, 8-meter-high precast deep walls, which further complicated the designing process.
Another challenge appeared in the underground structure, where walls from the upper floors transferred their loads directly onto columns with no possibility of redesigning the load-bearing structure, since the structural layout had been locked in during the preliminary design stage, leaving little flexibility for changes during the detailed design phase. In one instance, engineers had to design custom steel box beams to support large openings, ensuring that the structural integrity of the walls was maintained despite the significant loads.
\[ \textsf{\textit{\footnotesize{Load-bearing underground structure}}}\]
Moreover, the detailed design phase overlapped with the construction phase, demanding real-time adjustments without altering the approved architectural plans.
Solutions and results
Innopolis Insenerid OÜ used IDEA StatiCa software to manage the detailed analysis required for precast concrete detailed analysis. Specifically, the IDEA StatiCa Detail application was used to model complex deep beams, where walls included discontinuities.
The software also helped identify areas where reinforcement needed to be adjusted, particularly around openings, which posed a high risk of shear failure.
The design also included concrete beams with openings positioned close to the edge, which posed a challenge due to the high shear forces in these areas. To ensure the beams could handle these stresses, the engineering team used IDEA StatiCa to analyze the load distribution and optimize the reinforcement.
To address the concentrated loads from upper floors transferring directly onto columns in the underground structure, the engineering team designed columns with corbels. These corbels provided additional support by distributing the heavy loads from the precast elements more effectively, preventing overstressing of the columns. By incorporating corbels, the engineers were able to maintain the structural integrity of the load paths without needing to alter the original architectural design, ensuring both safety and efficiency.
Conclusion
The construction of the residential complex in Tallinn, Estonia, was a demanding project that required careful coordination and advanced structural design. The use of IDEA StatiCa software was instrumental in code-checking columns with corbels, deep beams with significant discontinuities, allowing the team to overcome challenges like irregular load paths and shear forces around openings.
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