Q5.15: It says for the frame members they must fit within the .2′ by .2′ by 15′ box. Does this mean columns that experience 3-D shape, such as incline columns, are not allowed within our structure?
A: Inclined columns are allowed as long as they can fit within the 0.2” by 0.2” by 15” box at any orientation. One way to visualize how those columns can fit within the box is to make the height (the longest side) of the columns parallel with the 15” side of the box.
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. […]
Q5.11: If we decided to make a garden in the architectural design in one of the rentable floors in a buildable area, will it be considered as rentable area and can be included in the our FABI calculation?
A: A floor area is considered rentable as long as it is in the buildable area and adheres to the requirements in the Official Rules. In your architectural design, you can decide what a rentable floor area looks like and what purpose it serves. Regardless of architectural use, the area will be considered rentable and […]
Q5.12: It is allowed to conceive an architectural facade in the non-buildable space?
A: You can have an architectural facade in the non-buildable space in your rendering or images of the structure, but you cannot have any architectural or structural members in the non-buildable space of your physical structure.
Q5.10: In Figure 11 of the Design Guide, it says that Floor 10 is a 12×12 but in Figure 13 it shows floor 10 as a 5.5×5.5. Is floor 10 actually a 12×12 because you said we don’t account for the floor of the atrium so the 12×12 wouldn’t make sense.
A: The floors are the specific diaphragms at specific elevations so the buildable areas for each floor (figures 10-12 of the design guide) are showing the buildable areas (extents) of the diaphragms. This lacks information about the buildable volumes above each floor. The buildable areas of the diaphragms in figures 10-12 are still consistent with […]