School of Engineering

Swinburne University of Technology

PO Box 218
Hawthorn, Vic, Australia, 3122

CVE20003, Design of Concrete Structures

Project 1 – Analysis of a multistorey concrete building
Semester 2, 2024

Due date:
11:59pm 6th September

Individual project
(no working in groups)

Weighting: 20%

A multistorey building is to be designed and constructed in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. A preliminary

assessment by the engineer has nominated that a concrete framed building would be most suitable. The
engineer has nominated the geometry of the structure as per figures 1-3 below.

The beams and columns will be rigidly connected using steel reinforcement and should be designed as a
moment resisting frame to resist the horizontal forces which will be imposed on the structure due to wind
actions (Wu) in the locations shown in figure 2. The columns are connected into rigid footings at their base so
footing to column connection can be assumed as fixed for design purposes. All column cross section
dimensions should be taken as 500mm x 500mm square in cross section.

Each level is to be designed for activity/occupancy type E, (warehousing and storage areas) assuming specific
use of mobile stacking with a stacking height of 3.0m (classification E in AS1170.1 table 3.1). After analysis
by the engineer, superimposed dead load (SDL) including finishes is to be taken as 1.0 kPa and the self-weight
of the beams and columns should be determined and included as part of the dead load. A wind loading analysis
conducted by the engineer has determined that a constant positive wind load of (Wu) of 200 kN at each level.

Figure 1 – Structural frame elevation depicting column and beam dimensions.

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 School of Engineering
Swinburne University of Technology
PO Box 218
Hawthorn, Vic, Australia, 3122

Figure 2 – Structural wire frame elevation depicting dead loads, live loads and wind loads.

Figure 3 – Section 1, typical cross section of horizontal beam elements

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 School of Engineering
Swinburne University of Technology
PO Box 218
Hawthorn, Vic, Australia, 3122

Prior to the design of the structural members, an analysis is required to determine the critical design
actions such as bending moments, shear forces and axial forces in all members of the frame.

The self-weight of the RC floor system should be considered in addition to dead and live loads given
above. The gravity loads should include self-weight of the beams and slabs. The self weight of the
columns can be ignored.

As the cadet engineer on the project, you are required to perform the following tasks:

1. Based on AS1170.0, the designer has determined the following load combinations for ultimate limit
state to determine the critical design actions on the structure for later use in design:

Ed1 = 1.2G + Wu + 0.4Q

Determine the unfactored design actions based on live loads extracted from AS1170.1 and the
dead loads provided. The factored design actions should be expressed in kN/m for vertical loads and kN
for horizontal loads and applied to the frame in the correct locations. [5 marks]

2. Using approximate methods of analysis, determine the reactions, factored bending moments, shear
forces and axial forces for the frame for the vertical loads only. i.e 1.2G + 0.4Q [20 marks].

3. Using the portal method, determine the factored reactions, bending moments, shear forces and axial
forces for the frame for the horizontal loads only. i.e Wu [20 marks].

4. Using the cantilever method, determine the factored reactions, bending moments, shear forces and
axial forces for the frame for the horizontal loads only. i.e Wu [20 marks].

5. Using the portal method results from part 3 and the vertical load results from part 2, use the principal
of superposition to determine the combined reactions, bending moments, shear forces and axial forces for
the load combination Ed1= 1.2G + Wu + 0.4Q. [5 marks]

6. Using the cantilever method results from part 4 and the vertical load results from part 2, use the
principal of superposition to determine the combined reactions, bending moments, shear forces and axial
forces for the load combination Ed1= 1.2G + Wu + 0.4Q. [5 marks]
7. Using Space Gass, determine the bending moments, shear forces and axial loads for the frame for the
following load cases:

Ed1v = 1.2G + 0.4Q,

Ed1h = Wu,
Ed1 = 1.2G + Wu + 0.4Q

[15marks]

8. Compare the column reactions, maximum and minimum reactions, bending moments, shear forces
and axial loads obtained from the portal method and cantilever methods and Space Gass. Discuss
any differences in accuracy between these methods and why these differences exist. State weather
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 School of Engineering
Swinburne University of Technology
PO Box 218
Hawthorn, Vic, Australia, 3122

the portal or cantilever method was more accurate when compared to spacegass. Note that the
comparison only needs to be made at the maximum and minimum moment/shear force locations at
the worst story/locations. [5 marks]

9. The final project report must be a concise, organized, and easy-to-read document. The exact layout and
table of contents of the final design project report is up to the individual. The report should have enough
information to assess the accuracy and the approach used for the analysis and appropriate outputs from
Space Gass and hand calculations illustrating the results. [5 marks]