Subsystems

Reinforced concrete multi-story building – Helia

Focus: Optimising the use of concrete in the design of beams and columns while ensuring structural efficiency.

Variable parameters: the number of columns and beams – it varies based on the grid layout, which can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally.

High performance criteria: clear height, clear span, mass of concrete in beams and columns, cost of concrete used in beams and columns

Design alternatives: Different design alternatives are created by adjusting the columns and beams for both short and long spans and compared in terms of material usage, structural performance and cost.

building

 

Urban road – Jorg 

Focus: Enhance urban connectivity and sustainable transportation infrastructure in densely populated areas, considering limited space constraints and traffic capacity.

Variable parameters: available width, minimum width and Average Daily Traffic (ADT) capacity.

High performance criteria: width requirements, optimal space distribution.

Design alternatives: Four design alternatives based on actual locations in Berlin were chosen to illustrate the model’s adaptability and possible use for different scenarios. The available width is distributed among various components including sidewalks, bicycle lanes, parking lanes, bus lanes, and car lanes, prioritised by the ADT capacity.

road

 

Tunnel – Pengfei

Focus: structural design and construction management of shallow tunnels employing the cut-and-cover method commonly used in urban areas, aiming to design structurally robust and cost-effective tunnel designs.

Variable parameters: the tunnel’s net width, net height, wall thickness, roof slab thickness, floor slab thickness, and steel column number.

High performance criteria: earthwork volumes, concrete volumes, and steel column weight

Design alternatives: Three design alternatives are considered: pedestrian tunnel, ordinary bi-directional subway tunnel, and city highway tunnel.

tunnel

 

Thermal retrofitting school – Greta

Focus: Support engineers/energy consultants when making decisions about thermal insulation for school building envelopes. The aim is to find the best insulation option in terms of the material´s thermal conductivity, price and layer thickness to achieve the legally required U-values and have a more energy efficient school building

Variable parameters: Hight, length, layer thickness, roof tilt angle

High performance criteria: Cost function, thermal conductivity, U-value

Design alternatives: Three different insulation materials were tested: Wood fibre, EPS and mineral wool

school



Curved road – Maria

Focus: balancing the safety with the economic goals of minimising construction costs.

Variable parameters: curve length, curve radius, inclination, road width, speed limit.

High performance criteria: construction costs, space considerations sand safety.

Design alternatives: Three different design alternatives are discussed, with varying maximum speed and road requirements.

curve-road

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