Tall Buildings

Tall Building Engingeering

Our experience ranges from the 36m Circle Square Building 11 in Manchester, soaring to 168.4m in design. In all schemes, we use the latest modelling software analysis and engineering principals to optimise and appraise the sub- and superstructures.  

Key to any tall building is ensuring the structural system responds to the architectural and engineer design intent, whilst efficiently transferring the vertical and lateral forces to the foundations. We conduct early options analysis to establish the preferred structural construction materials, structural grid, zones, and core arrangement for blocks, enabling structural core and column grids to be tested against any masterplan layout strategies such as access, parking, serving and levels.  

Core Wall Optimisation 

Lateral stability is a key consideration for tall buildings, and the extent and thickness of shear walls needs to be carefully considered to avoid loss of valuable internal space. 

We look to optimise core wall layouts at the early stages of a projects by systematically removing walls, one at a time, to assess the building’s dynamic performance.  

Utilising the uncracked section properties of the walls, we assess the fundamental natural frequences of the frame, with an assumed load combination of 1.0DL + 0.3LL. This modal analysis determines dynamic properties and establishes the modes of vibration. 

The information can lead to an early understanding of the frame’s performance as well as any irregularities in its behaviour that could potentially leading to problems in its static load performance, enabling us optimise the design.  

Pre-Planning and Site Due Diligence 

What often sets us apart is our local office locations in 14 major cities across the UK and Ireland. Across these, we have more than 500 cumulative years of city knowledge, and relationships with town planners, local authorities, government departments and key stakeholders that enable us to unlock site limitations, design around planning conditions and flood zones, and, on occasion, even reference previous site drawings and details.   

Foursite is our specialist pre-planning service that brings together our transport planning, environmental, infrastructure and structural engineering teams to realise the potential of sites and mitigate constraints, enabling our clients to proceed with building without a hitch.