Scotia Place – 12 Story Apartment Building

Mark Moore, Structural Designer, Holmes Consulting Group, Auckland

A Case Study of High-Rise Construction Using Wood and Steel – WCTE2000

This paper describes the design of a 12-story apartment building on a single story basement, which has wood floor diaphragms, and structural steel gravity and lateral load resisting systems. The design objective was to develop the most cost-effective structural system while meeting building functionality goals and adhering to code requirements. The main structural and non-structural design issues considered in this all-wood floor building are reviewed: gravity loads, lateral loads imposed by wind and earthquake, floor vibration, acoustics, and changes in wood moisture content. The lightweight structural form proved to be a practical system to lower construction material cost and enable alternative construction techniques to be employed. A comparison with a concrete floor option is briefly made.

Issue 1 Volume 10