a425couple
2018-02-24 17:18:17 UTC
Vertical Cities Are The Future Of Urban Living.
But How Do You Make Them Withstand Forces Of Nature?
(We are not yet at Silverbergs Urban Monads,,,, but--)
Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesVoice Move the World Forward
The concept of the ‘vertical city’ received wide attention with the
construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
With extremely tall buildings like this, one major challenge is managing
the effects of severe winds.
By Andrea Willige
In the early 1950s, Shenzhen in south-eastern China was a fishing
village with only a few thousand inhabitants. Last year, its residents
numbered around 11 million.
Shutterstock
Shenzhen City Center
While this may be a particularly extreme example of urban growth, the UN
predicts that by 2030, two-thirds of the global population will live in
cities. In many urban centers there is already a shortage of space and
expanding outwards isn’t always an option.
As a result, like never before, cities are going vertical.
Vertical cities, not skyscrapers
The concept of the ‘vertical city’ received wide attention with the
construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The tallest building in the
world, it was one of the first to be conceived as a mixed-use skyscraper
with hotel accommodation, residential apartments and offices.
Not surprisingly, China has taken a page out of Dubai’s book as part of
its rapid urban growth which saw almost 500 million people move from
rural areas into cities in the last 35 years. Five of the ten tallest
buildings in the world can be found in ‘megalopolises’ such as Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Shenzhen’s Ping An Finance Centre is a case in point. Measuring 600
meters, it is the fourth tallest building in the world and the second
tallest in China. Located in the CBD financial district of Shenzhen, it
encompasses 118 floors and an area of 600,000 square meters. In addition
to office space and a five-star boutique hotel, it also sports a
360-degree sightseeing floor.
Motion sickness
With extremely tall buildings like this, one major challenge is managing
the effects of severe winds. Most skyscrapers can move several feet in
either direction without sustaining structural damage.
The problem is that sway affects the people living and working in
ultra-high-rise buildings. Research has shown that even a small amount
of movement can trigger motion sickness, sleepiness and anxiety. Sway
can also impact on safety and stability within these gravity-defying
structures, risking movement of unsecured items.
Typically, horizontal movement can be reduced by tightening up the
building’s steel structure to make it more rigid. Many new buildings
also have one or more concrete cores built into their center to increase
resistance to movement. However, for very tall skyscrapers like the Ping
An Finance Centre, this is not sufficient.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
A vibration control device at Shanghai World Financial Center.
Creating a counterweight
To keep sway at bay at the Ping An building, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Machinery Systems installed a vibration control device featuring two
300-ton weights.
The company had experience of dealing with ultra-high-rises, having
previously put in place a smaller system with two 150-ton weights at
Shanghai World Financial Centre, which is 492 meters in height.
At Ping An Financial Centre, the two 300-ton weights and associated
control unit are installed 524 meters above the ground – close to the roof.
When the building begins to sway in high winds, sensors at the top of
the skyscraper detect the motion. Based on instant computer
calculations, the weights are then activated to counter-act the
movement. Through the action of the device, sway can be reduced by
approximately 40%.
Achieving this dramatic reduction in lateral movement will be an
important factor in the construction of new high-rise buildings, making
them more livable as more and more of the world’s population are drawn
to large cities.
Andrea has spent many years creating content for the international
business and technology press, working as a PR advisor to some of the
world's largest technology companies.
For the original version of this article and more, please visit SPECTRA,
the online media powered by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mitsubishiheavyindustries/2018/01/24/vertical-cities-are-the-future-of-urban-living-but-how-do-you-make-them-withstand-forces-of-nature/#41785e516296
But How Do You Make Them Withstand Forces Of Nature?
(We are not yet at Silverbergs Urban Monads,,,, but--)
Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesVoice Move the World Forward
The concept of the ‘vertical city’ received wide attention with the
construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
With extremely tall buildings like this, one major challenge is managing
the effects of severe winds.
By Andrea Willige
In the early 1950s, Shenzhen in south-eastern China was a fishing
village with only a few thousand inhabitants. Last year, its residents
numbered around 11 million.
Shutterstock
Shenzhen City Center
While this may be a particularly extreme example of urban growth, the UN
predicts that by 2030, two-thirds of the global population will live in
cities. In many urban centers there is already a shortage of space and
expanding outwards isn’t always an option.
As a result, like never before, cities are going vertical.
Vertical cities, not skyscrapers
The concept of the ‘vertical city’ received wide attention with the
construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The tallest building in the
world, it was one of the first to be conceived as a mixed-use skyscraper
with hotel accommodation, residential apartments and offices.
Not surprisingly, China has taken a page out of Dubai’s book as part of
its rapid urban growth which saw almost 500 million people move from
rural areas into cities in the last 35 years. Five of the ten tallest
buildings in the world can be found in ‘megalopolises’ such as Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Shenzhen’s Ping An Finance Centre is a case in point. Measuring 600
meters, it is the fourth tallest building in the world and the second
tallest in China. Located in the CBD financial district of Shenzhen, it
encompasses 118 floors and an area of 600,000 square meters. In addition
to office space and a five-star boutique hotel, it also sports a
360-degree sightseeing floor.
Motion sickness
With extremely tall buildings like this, one major challenge is managing
the effects of severe winds. Most skyscrapers can move several feet in
either direction without sustaining structural damage.
The problem is that sway affects the people living and working in
ultra-high-rise buildings. Research has shown that even a small amount
of movement can trigger motion sickness, sleepiness and anxiety. Sway
can also impact on safety and stability within these gravity-defying
structures, risking movement of unsecured items.
Typically, horizontal movement can be reduced by tightening up the
building’s steel structure to make it more rigid. Many new buildings
also have one or more concrete cores built into their center to increase
resistance to movement. However, for very tall skyscrapers like the Ping
An Finance Centre, this is not sufficient.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
A vibration control device at Shanghai World Financial Center.
Creating a counterweight
To keep sway at bay at the Ping An building, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Machinery Systems installed a vibration control device featuring two
300-ton weights.
The company had experience of dealing with ultra-high-rises, having
previously put in place a smaller system with two 150-ton weights at
Shanghai World Financial Centre, which is 492 meters in height.
At Ping An Financial Centre, the two 300-ton weights and associated
control unit are installed 524 meters above the ground – close to the roof.
When the building begins to sway in high winds, sensors at the top of
the skyscraper detect the motion. Based on instant computer
calculations, the weights are then activated to counter-act the
movement. Through the action of the device, sway can be reduced by
approximately 40%.
Achieving this dramatic reduction in lateral movement will be an
important factor in the construction of new high-rise buildings, making
them more livable as more and more of the world’s population are drawn
to large cities.
Andrea has spent many years creating content for the international
business and technology press, working as a PR advisor to some of the
world's largest technology companies.
For the original version of this article and more, please visit SPECTRA,
the online media powered by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mitsubishiheavyindustries/2018/01/24/vertical-cities-are-the-future-of-urban-living-but-how-do-you-make-them-withstand-forces-of-nature/#41785e516296