Superstructure

The proposed superstructure is composed of a combination of construction methods and materials appropriate to the flood risk zone to which the building is located. In total, the building consists of five floors above ground, level with a gross floor area of 2,500 square meters. Each floor of the building is briefly described below.

GROUND FLOOR

The ground floor is designed for parking spaces only. It accommodates 50 cars approximately, which provides parking solutions for both residents as well as tenants and users of the commercial spaces.

Ground Floor Construction

Ground floor construction is predominantly made up of concrete columns, which is extend from the pile foundation, and metal panels, which serve as the ground floor façade. Concrete columns can safely transfer loads of the building to the foundation and also withstand the external forces of floodwaters in the event of a flood. The design of the ground floor ensures that the building does not suffer damages from flooding, since it provides a path for water to flow out rather than holding it there and damaging the structure.

The ground floor of the car park will be constructed with concrete flooring and coated with polyurethane. Polyurethane is renowned for its long lifespan and excellent abrasion and impact resistance, as well as its decorative properties. In addition to excellent gloss retention, colour stability, and extreme toughness, the deck coating can be specified with an aliphatic sealer.

UPPER FLOORS

In this project, the first and second floors will be commercial spaces. These spaces can be customised to meet the needs of a range of users, such as offices, pop-up shops, cafes, convenience stores, art galleries, and gyms. Additionally, the businesses can benefit from the river view and the surrounding areas in addition to the customisable open floor space.

The third and fourth floors are used for residential purposes. With a combined floor area of 1200m2, the two floors are divided into one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, all of which are equipped with modern amenities and are designed with the occupant's comfort in mind. The apartments each feature a private balcony that overlooks the river, allowing residents to enjoy their leisure time privately.

Construction of Upper Floors

The steel structural framework is used to frame the building structure on the upper floors. The benefits of using steel construction are as follows:

Large spans can be achieved economically and gracefully without columns. In most cases, structural steel can carry the required load with minimal material usage.
It's easy to divide space and alter it in any way changing circumstances necessitate with fewer columns
Steel-framed buildings can also be easily upgraded or refurbished, with new facades and other architectural features added easily.
As an interior wall is not load bearing, it can be repositioned when traffic patterns change or space usage changes.
Access to electrical wiring and computer networking cables is easy with steel framing and floors

Construction of Upper Floors

The flooring in the upper floors will be composite floor slabs with metal decking. In order to create composite floor slabs, profiled sheeting is primarily used with concrete. Shallow profiles up to about 175 mm deep can be used for shorter spans; deep decking, typically 225 mm deep, can be used for longer spans. Profiles of shallow depths are typically trapezoidal or re-entrant. Designed to improve structural performance, deep decking is a trapezoidal profile with indentations and embossments. Strip with a maximum thickness of 2 mm is used.

Composite slabs can be constructed of lightly reinforced concrete cast on steel profiles. For longer fire resistance, and for heavier loads, the slabs are reinforced with mesh on top and bars in the troughs. It is also possible to reinforce with fibre. Trapezoidal decking (80 mm deep) can span spans up to 4.5 m. Deep decking profiles (over 200 mm deep) can span 6 m or more without propping.

Faster construction is the benefit of composite slabs. Decking bundles are lifted into place on the steel structure, where they are hand-distributed. Compared to precast concrete, there are fewer crane lifts needed. It also saves time and money by stacking the decking into bundles. In addition to acting as a working platform, the decking can also serve as a storage platform for materials during construction. Fixing it to the steel beams can help prevent lateral torsional buckling.