Q1.1: The document states “…the client would like to lease the lowermost and the uppermost two floor level of the structure as retail space.” Does this mean the top floor of each tower equaling 2 floors, or the top 2 floors of each building equaling 4 floors top and bottom?
A: There are a total of 4 floors designated as retail space: floors f=1, f=2, f=n-1, and f=n. The floor designation is for both towers (i.e., floor f=1 consists of the bottom floor for both towers, even though they are not connected to each other). Figure 9, elevation A-A in the design guide is a […]
Q7.2:For the roof plate, it specifies that “no part of the roof plate is allowed to not land on the roof surface.” However, the dimensions of the sky bridge make it so that it can’t fully attach to the roof. How are we supposed to attach the roof plate so that all parts land on the roof surface?
A: The roof plate needs to be touching the two towers and the skybridges. We will accept that there are minor areas where the roof plate will not be touching anything, however, it needs to be centered in the building and touching the skybridge and the two towers. Please click here to see illustrative sketch […]
Q7.1:In plan view, do the skybridges need to be centered between the two towers, or can the skybridges be placed at top/bottom between the towers in plan view? i.e., in elevation view, can the skybridges be staggered from each other?
A: The skybridges need to be centered between the two towers, i.e., they cannot be staggered from each other. This is further clarified in the Design Guide, Section 4, Floor Requirements.
Q6.1:”If the damping system is removed, the balsa wood structure, with all dead load weights attached, should be stable and firmly fixed to the base plate.” For the damping device, will it have to be removed during the competition? How might we need to demonstrate that it is fully removable?
A: The damping device is not required to be designed to be removable during the competition. This section is meant to specify that damping devices should not affect the stability of the structure, rather as a supplemental element to assist in energy dissipation. It will be obvious if stability is compromised if damping devices were […]
Q4.7: For the structure-damper connections, if they are constructed from balsa wood do those members need to adhere to the rules outlining frame member size within section 5.2, and section 5.4 which outlines the rules for connections and gusset plate? As examples of potential violations: a balsa wood member that is 0.4” x 0.2” x 0.75”; or having four 0.2” x 0.2” frame members glued together to create a 0.4” x 0.4” block. Additionally, should the damper be rejected while at competition, would the structure-damper connections need to be removed even if it is clear that they serve no structural purpose?
A: The structure-damper connections do not need to adhere to the rules outlining frame member size as long as they are described in your approved damping proposal. If the balsa wood members in your connections are not adequately described in the damping proposal and do not conform to the official rules, please email sdc@eeri.org with […]