High-rise buildings

After supplying steel sections for Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is now supplying steel for Europe's tallest building, the Lakhta Centre, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Measuring 462 metres, the Lakhta tower and its adjacent building were built with HISTAR® 460 Russia, a grade developed specifically for this project.

Inspired by Gothic art

This very prestigious and elegant building claims several records: Europe's tallest high-rise building at 462 m and the northernmost skyscraper in the world to name but a few. The tower's 87 floors total a gross floor area of 163 000 m2. Designed by RMJM and completed by Gorproject, the tower's unique look was inspired by a cathedral tower and culminates with a tapered and twisted spire in a fine point. Gorproject and Inforceproject were the structural engineers of the project, while Renaissance Construction Company was the general contractor.

A strong involvement since 2008

ArcelorMittal began following this project in 2008. Over the years, at each phase of the project's development, the teams convinced the structural engineers and the general contractor to select a solution with heavy sections. The ArcelorMittal research centre in Esch, Luxembourg was on board from the very start to support the mill in fine-tuning the quality of the steel and achieving its registration as HISTAR® 460 Russia with the relevant official institute and authority in Russia.

A high-performance steel grade, made in Luxembourg

The structural frame of the tower's star shaped cross-sectional footprint, slightly different on every floor, features at its centre a circular core in concrete mainly housing the lifts. The tower's 73 000 m2 facade is formed from 16 500 pieces of glass. At its perimeter, the structure rests on steel-composite-columns made of structural sections in HISTAR® 460 Russia quality steel. This high-performance steel grade allowed for relevant cost savings by optimising both the weight and time of processing and installation.

The heavy H-sections were processed by cutting into T-sections for making cruciform-shaped column profiles, which were subsequently encased in concrete. For the construction of the tower and the two multifunctional buildings, ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products' mill in Differdange, Luxembourg delivered 21 254 tonnes of steel sections, including processing. This is one of only a few rolling heavy sections, also known as jumbos, and the only one capable of manufacturing HISTAR® 460 combining extremely demanding mechanical requirements together with excellent ease of processing when welding. The Differdange mill is known for its excellent track record of delivering tall buildings of this nature and is a proud supplier helping to shape the skylines of cities across the world.

A new economic centre for Saint Petersburg

Located in the Primorsky district of Saint Petersburg, the Lakhta Centre will create a sustainable economic zone by combining the office space of the tower with transportation infrastructure, green space, and several public resources including a planetarium, sports complex, medical centre, performance hall, and a bank. Outside of the building, the planned landscaped spaces consist of a 2000-seat amphitheatre and a green promenade. The Lakhta Centre is seen as the 'pilot project' for this area on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg with the view to create a new area for business and residences in this area. At the base of the tower, two multifunctional buildings will host a convention and conference centre with a panoramic restaurant, observation deck, amphitheatre, atrium, retail areas, 'World of Science', transformable hall, health centre, sport complex, and offices. The tower will serve as a major landmark for the area through its sheer height and its unique twisted and tapered spire form. The tower will be the headquarters of Gazprom, the world's largest gas company.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications, Constructalia

Images: © JSC Gazpromneft Eastern European Projects

A new high-rise buildings brochure from ArcelorMittal Europe - Long Products Sections and Merchant Bars is now available.

Find this brochure and more in our Document library: Document library

ArcelorMittal Europe has sponsored a documentary about Leslie E. Robertson, who was the lead structural engineer of the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center in New York City. He oversaw the construction of the tallest building in the world at that time (417 m) and has been haunted by its collapse and the events of 9/11.

The designer of some of the most prestigious buildings

With the support and the love of his wife and business partner, SawTeen See, Robertson rebounded and has designed some of the most prestigious high-rise buildings on the planet, such as the Shanghai World Financial Center. This 492-metre-tall building, owned by Japanese investor Mori Building, was designed by Robertson and See with 15 000 tonnes of HISTAR® steel sections produced by ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products’ mill in Differdange, Luxembourg.

Robertson’s story

His story is now the subject of a documentary, Leaning Out, which premiered for the first time during the 2018 Architecture & Design Film Festival in New York City. The premiere was attended by our colleagues Jean-Claude Gerardy (ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products), Ravi Ranganathan, Ramana Venkat, and Vince Mondelli (ArcelorMittal International Chicago).

ArcelorMittal is proud to sponsor this documentary focussing on innovation and visionary collaborations and recounting how Robertson embraced new technologies and innovative steels such as HISTAR® to design tall landmark buildings.

Leaning Out is now available on DVD/VOD. You can get your copy of Leaning Out now on the official website or Vimeo:

Official website
Vimeo

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe, Constructalia

Photos: Leaning Out documentary

ArcelorMittal has sponsored a research project with The Council on Tall Building and Urban Habitat  (CTBUH) to improve the way floor areas in buildings are measured and the resulting new standard, IPMS 4, based on the actual ‘net carpet area’ is in the process of being accepted worldwide. This will benefit everyone involved in building construction from investors to the public.

Gross area vs. net area

When selling or renting a house or an apartment, real estate companies advertise the amount of available square metres with a purchasing price or the monthly rental cost. The amount that we need to pay on a per square metre basis is one of the most important factors when comparing properties and taking a decision.

But do you really know how these square metres are measured? Do you know what is included in the advertised 100 square metres and what is not? Are you sure this is the actual usable area, the so-called net carpet area? It could also be the gross area meaning that walls, balconies, columns, common areas, garages, lifts, etc. are all included. Some areas may even be weighted based on being shared with future neighbours.

What do you think? Next weekend why not spend some time calculating the exact usable areas in your lovely home and comparing it to what was in your contract? You will be surprised as the difference could be huge!

Why is it like this?

Today, there is no universal standard that explains how to measure the various areas in buildings. This is rather a strange situation. Owners and developers very nearly advertise what they want. Who really checks the area with a ruler before signing a contract?

The CTBUH has been recognised as the main arbiter of tall building height, having developed the international standards for measuring buildings and bestowing designations such as ‘The World’s Tallest Building’. The CTBUH is therefore the best organisation to monitor the creation of an international standard to measure the various areas in a building.

The correct measurement of all areas in a building is ideal not only for the occupants but also for the investors and the entire building industry. As such, everything linked to a ‘per square metre’ criterion can then be optimised, and every construction solution can be objectively compared for everyone’s benefit.

Energy consumption, maximum occupancy, lift capacity, air conditioning, and of course columns sizes - ArcelorMittal is proud to have sponsored this research with the CTBUH that will finally define all of the areas in a building accurately. This new standard, IPMS 4, based on the actual ‘net carpet area’, is in the process of being accepted worldwide. The huge columns in buildings will finally have to be optimised to minimise their sizes. Thanks to steel sections and especially HISTAR® (high strength steel), engineers will have the possibility to save valuable square metres compared to traditional concrete solutions. Until now, this saving of areas had never objectively been considered.

Click here to read more about the progress made in developing this globally accepted IPMS 4 standard.

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe
Photos: ArcelorMittal Europe

A new R&D report presenting a new, innovative type of flat shear connection for steel-concrete composite structures is now available.

Report abstract

For buildings in steel-concrete composite structure, the current practice of the shear connection in fully embedded columns is the implementation of headed shear studs. This type of connector has been mainly developed for composite beams and some disadvantages have been identified for column application. For example, due to the shear stud geometry, the difficulty of the reinforcement application and more complicated handling of the column are recognised. Taking into account the additional high resistance, stiffness, ductility and production efficiency criteria, an innovative type of flat shear connection, with the potential for a fully automatic fabrication process has been developed. The proposed new type of shear connectors is made out of regular reinforcement bars welded to the flanges of steel profiles under a specific arrangement. The conducted investigation consisted of three different variants: transversal, longitudinal and angled (V-shaped) of connectors applied to the HEB120 steel profiles. In addition, tests without any mechanical connectors were conducted as reference tests. The specific load-bearing behaviour in terms of load-slip curves for each connector variant has been obtained and analysed. After the tests, the specimens were opened and the failure patterns were investigated. 3D non-linear numerical simulations in the FE code Abaqus® have supported the performed investigations. In the results, the load flux, the decisive force-transfer mechanisms and resistance limits have been identified.

Report (including abstract):
C. Odenbreit, ArcelorMittal Chair of Steel and Facade Engineering, FSTC, RUES, University of Luxembourg
M. Chrzanowski, ArcelorMittal Chair of Steel and Facade Engineering, FSTC, RUES, University of Luxembourg
R. Obiala, Global R&D, ArcelorMittal
T. Bogdan, Global R&D, ArcelorMittal
H. Degée, FET, CERG, Hasselt University

Text: Constructalia

Photos: R.W.M. Wong, European Commission, C.Odenbreit, M.Chrzanowski, R.Obiala, T.Bogdan, H.Degée

Ho Chi Minh City is the fastest economic growing urban area in Vietnam. Landmark 81 will be a particularly impressive addition to the city’s skyline once complete in early 2019 overtaking Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower as the country’s tallest. This 81-storey residential structure will offer luxurious living combining extraordinary views with maximum floor space thanks to 3600 tonnes of HISTAR® 460 sections produced by ArcelorMittal Europe. The tower will be a notable achievement for ArcelorMittal too. For the first time, we will be the sole steel supplier of all the sections in a high-rise.

A new addition to the city’s skyline

Measuring 462 metres, Landmark 81 will be one of the tallest residential buildings on earth. Commissioned by property developer Vingroup, designed by architectural firm Atkins, structural design consulted by Arup, and built by construction companies Mace and Coteccons, it will make a statement in one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most prime locations facing the Saigon River. This 81-storey skyscraper will comprise a hotel, serviced apartments, and a high-end shopping centre.

Perfect for heavy loads and free fire protection

The 3600 tonnes of sections were produced by ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products’ Differdange mill. The composite design of concrete and HISTAR® steels is ideal to carry heavy loads. The concrete walls contain multiple jumbo sections acting as vertical columns to carry the weight of the building. The concrete surrounding the steel columns also acts as free fire protection.

More floor area thanks to HISTAR®

A key advantage of HISTAR® steels will be an increase in saleable floor area. Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world where developers have to sell the net area of apartments or offices instead of the gross area. Inserting HISTAR® sections into the walls will enable builders to reduce their width freeing up additional saleable area at prime cost. By selecting HISTAR® 460 columns in composite walls, the structural engineer, Arup, succeeded in maximising the so-called “carpet area” for the benefit of the investor, Vingroup, as well as the future tenants.

In total, three lots of HISTAR® sections will be delivered to the steel fabricator QH Plus.  The first lot arrived in Ho Chi Minh City in early September 2016. Completion for Landmark 81 is expected in early 2019.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Europe

Photos:
© Vingroup
© hieunghi/Shutterstock.com