Innovation Through Simulation in Built Environment

This presentation was held at the 2020 NAFEMS UK Conference "Inspiring Innovation through Engineering Simulation". The conference covered topics ranging from traditional FEA and CFD, to new and emerging areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning and EDA.

Resource Abstract

This paper summarises a novel method of using technology for optimisation with respect to cost and programme in a major redevelopment Built Environment Project at Woking, UK.

The scheme will provide a 190-bed hotel, circa 11,000m2 of retail space, 450 apartments in two 34-storey apartment blocks, a medical centre, energy centre and multi-storey car park. The project also involves alterations to highways and infrastructure works and extensive public realm works, including a space-frame glazed canopy over an external shopping mall.

Initial models developed in RIVET were used to compute the loads on foundations at very early stages of the project when the contractors, Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM), were involved on the project.

The geology of the site consisted made ground and followed by sand/silt/clay mixture and with an unusual combination of the particle size distribution, The stiffness of the ground appeared to be very high but due to the sand content in the mix, it was initially thought the mixture might offer less resistance and hence may cause excessive settlements to the structures.

At Woking, No buildings of such height have been considered on these types of soils. The Engineer original proposal was to have a deep piled foundations extending at least 50m with bored piles of 1200mm diameter into stiffer lower strata to transfer the building loads.

SRM proposed additional testing to determine the strength of the upper strata in order to propose a hybrid foundation for the buildings.

Working collaboratively with the project Engineer on the project, the finite element models are used in the next stage of design to optimise the foundation using soil structure interaction analysis.

Analysis was verified with the observations on site and is supplemented with additional site testing of soil. The detailed finite element models developed were used for designing reinforcement to Eurocodes.