One City Center
Washington D.C.
Jeremy Swartz
Structural Option
Advisor: Dr. Aly Said
Initial Proposal
Final Proposal
Structural Depth
The goal of this proposal is to design a new gravity system for One City Center and additionally design a system to resist blast loading. Such buildings are fairly common in the Washington D.C. area and One City Center shall be redesigned to meet such structural qualifications. If such structural qualifications prove to be too unreasonable a progressive design shall be implemented instead. It is also desired to keep the overall height limit of 130’ and ensure that the floor height of 11’ only differs by 5%. The new design shall not alter the existing structural grid or architecture unless proven reasonable. Additionally the change in cost for both original and alternative systems will be compared. The proposed structural change for One City Center is from a gravity system of post tensioned concrete to a two way reinforced concrete slab. This redesign will generate new gravity loads in the structure and therefor mandate a redesign of the columns as well. Also as a result of the new loading the lateral system will be redesigned. Both columns and shear walls will not change material properties but will change size if deemed necessary.
Construction Management Breadth
The construction management aspect of One City Center will be analyzed under the newly proposed structural system. Such an analysis will include a comparison of the old system the new system and the progressive collapse system. Additionally the per floor schedule will be compared for the existing and new systems. This information is key to understanding how the building comes together as a whole and how changes in the structure effect cost and time. Through this comparison greater knowledge will be gained about how changing the structural system has an impact on the constructability of the building.
Acoustical Breadth
The way sound travels throughout a space can very much effect the functions of those inside that space. It is proposed that the architectural acoustics be studied for several typical spaces in One City Center. Furthermore the material properties of each space and their effect on the overall acoustics will be analyzed. This topic is of high interest due to the existing materials inside the building which are smooth and hard. This leads to a potential echo and reverberation in sound. It is proposed that the dimensions and surface materials of public and private areas in the building be examined for auditory comfort. This analysis fits well with the structural depth of blast protection and progressive collapse in that government agency buildings are likely to need little reverberation and high transmission loss in order to keep conversations private.