Tall buildings construction projects are risky investments, from financing or from the construction point of view. So many things have to be taken into account between the time you start the project and the time you hand it over to the client. A plethora of local regulations, as well as the evolving standard of highrise buildings, add to your challenges.

With so much at stake, what should be your main areas of concern and how should you address them, in order to meet the expectations of your clients? We discuss seven major design considerations of high rise buildings that must be taken into account in order to meet client expectations, but before that let’s understand what defines a high-rise building :

7 Primary Considerations For The Construction Of  High-Rise Buildings.

#1. Assessment of the Site and Compliance with Regulations

The key to a successful construction work is knowledge of the local compliance requirements and geological realities of your building location, and taking them into account. When it comes to tall buildings, height restrictions, city design preferences, and other requirements, such as LEED compliance, should be double-checked to ensure compliance.

In terms of geology, you must collect survey data (e.g., soil stress-strain, groundwater dynamics, etc.) on the area’s ability to withstand the loads on highrise buildings.

#2. Integrity of Structure

Structural integrity is defined by the capacity of a structure and its elements to remain intact while being subjected to a load, including its own weight, without breakage or deformation. It guarantees that the building will function as intended for the duration of its intended lifespan when put under reasonable load.

To ensure structural integrity, double check elements such as your building’s spatial rigidity and load-bearing capacity. Validating the vertical and horizontal load-bearing of the structure is critical because it will be disastrous to jeopardize the building’s overall integrity due to accidental loss of a few internal load-bearing structures.

In most cases, a civil engineer will be present to perform these calculations. In practise, structural integrity issues should appear as design criteria in your CAD system. It is critical that you address them during the design process.

#3. MEP (Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing)

MEP infrastructure may be one of the most complicated internal design elements in high-rise building design. The three technical fields of MEP, or mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, include the systems that make building interiors suitable for occupancy. Whether it’s a 50-story building or a lab to work in, MEP systems transform buildings from empty structures into cozy, hospitable places that are livable. MEP systems, in general, include the following:

• Lighting
• Elevators
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Heating
• Water Supply and Management Fire Protection
• Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
• Systems for Waste Disposal

To distribute air to each floor and room of the building, an HVAC system, for example, will require a ductwork system. In addition, you must connect the HVAC system to the electrical and water supply/management system.

#4. Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency can be optimized by an appropriate design of MEP. If you are in charge of achieving LEED certification for your highrise, you will need to identify ways to reduce your building’s electricity and water consumption. You can make significant inroads by focusing on the largest energy user.

For example, an HVAC system in an office building may consume up to 39% of the total energy consumed (lighting consumes 25%).

By incorporating an underfloor air distribution (UFAD)-based HVAC system, you can save up to 30% on energy costs. UFAD systems reduce energy consumption by diffusing air from the floor-level, i.e., closest to the occupant, by leveraging raised access floors.

#5. Comfort of the occupants

To increase occupants’ comfort, you must consider both good indoor air quality (IAQ) and improved designs for thermal and acoustic comfort. An efficient HVAC solution can address all three.

An UFAD-based HVAC system, for example, will diffuse warm air from the floor (i.e., closest to the occupant) and use the natural upward flow of warm air to heat the room. The occupants do not need to crank up their fans to full blast (and put up with the noise) to stay warm.

Similarly, HVAC with ductwork is required to remove polluted air from rooms and replace it with freshly conditioned air.

#6. Aesthetic Value

You can influence the visual appeal of the building’s exterior through design and material selection. In the interior design, raised access floors can be used to house HVAC ductwork as well as electrical wiring and cables, to free up floor space and provide it with a neat and tidy appearance.

It is obvious that HVAC systems have a significant impact on the design of a high-rise building. However, integrating HVAC systems into the design of your building is a complex task which might put your project at risk of delays and cost overruns.

#7. Sustainability and environmental friendliness

The energy savings gained from an efficient HVAC system (along with other methods such as encouraging the use of natural sunlight) will increase the green friendliness of your building.

The HVAC system alone will reduce electricity consumption and water waste.

You can also improve your sustainability by choosing eco-friendly suppliers and sustainable materials such as recycled steel, insulated concrete forms, and so on.

Hope this blog has given you useful insights into how high-rise buildings are constructed. For more information, please write to us at [email protected]