Q4.5: Can components of the damping devices, such as pins to connect the devices to the tower, exceed the outer footprint of the building or does the entire assembly need to be constrained within the dimensions provided in Figure 12 of the 2022 Design Guide?
A: Components of damping devices such as pins and connections are not permitted to exceed the outer footprint of the building. Maximum floor plan dimensions will be checked with templates passed over the structure per Section 5.6.d of the Official Rules. Violations will be incurred if the template cannot freely pass over any floors; this […]
Q4.6: One of the criteria used by the judges to approve the damping system is that if the damping system is removed, the structure should be stable and firmly fixed to the base plate. Does this mean the damping system has be designed to be removable?
A: The damping system is not required to be designed as removable. The main reason for this criteria is to make sure that the structure is stable and firmly fixed to the base plate in case the SDC Chairs determine that the damping devices need to be removed prior to shaking (noted in Section 4.2 […]
Q5.13: In past years competition, the maximum rentable floor area has been less than the sum of the allowable floor areas for each floor. In this years competition the maximum rentable floor area IS the sum of the allowable floor areas for each floor. If this is the case, the only way to obtain that maximum rentable floor area would be to have zero tolerance and all columns placed within the perimeter beams, both of which are highly unusual.
A: We recommend that teams focus on precision of construction to ensure that their rentable floor areas are maximized if they choose to build to the maximum areas. A slight measurement tolerance will be considered when checking rentable floor areas at the competition. However, this tolerance is up to the discretion of the SDC chairs. […]
Q3.1: In the Geotechnical References 2022 document, the project site location is indicated to be near the Interstate 15 overpass at the rail tracks (approximately 40°46’6”N, 111°54’40″W) and testing data comes from the 600W Interchange south of that. We were wondering if that is the true location of the building, or if it was simply just a reference point for the downtown area of Salt Lake City. If the latter, are we allowed to choose any location in the downtown area for the tower (for rendering purposes) or will a lot be provided?
A: The coordinates are mostly for reference for downtown Salt Lake City. You can pick any location in the downtown area for rendering purposes.
Q4.2: As stated in the Clarifications Section, “A complete analysis and a finalized design of the structure are not necessary for the proposal”; however, we are required to submit a computer-generated image of the exposed structural system in the proposal. Does the “exposed structural system” refer to a complete, but preliminary structural design? Also we would like to know how accurate the final design for the competition (with the official ground motion file taken into consideration) has to be in accordance with the proposal-submitted structural system. Would there be a penalization if structural aspects discussed in the proposal are modified or not to be seen in the final design.
A: To the first question, yes you should submit a complete yet preliminary design. The model does not have to be fully analyzed, but should be comprehensive enough to show your design intent and the structural layout in a computer-generated image. As for the second question, your final design does not need to adhere to […]