ARCH464: Architect & Civil Engineer Collaboration | ZAFER KINACI

This week, Zafer Kınacı contributed to Arch 464 course as a speaker. Mr. Kınacı is a civil engineer and also owner of Kınacı Engineering Company in Ankara. He has dealing with structural projects of lots of buildings in Ankara such as Next Level, Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Hotel and fitness center building of TEDU.

First of all, he mentioned about the structural system which they use in wide-span spaces. Actually, throughout my architectural education, I prefer using steel construction system in my projects in order to have large and spacious spaces without lots of columns because I always think that concrete is not an appropriate material in terms of structure and we can leave even 15 meter space between 2 columns by the usage of steel. However, steel is an expensive material in professional life and clients do not prefer it. Thus, as architects, we should find the way to design large multipurpose spaces with less columns. Zafer Kınacı gave us so valuable information about this issue. He talked about post tensioned concrete. This system is both practical in large spaces and not as expensive as steel construction. The crucial feature of this system is the usage of parabolic ropes. These ropes decrease the momentum of loads so the distances between columns increase. First of all, the reinforcement of the construction is installed as usual then, the ropes are located inside the reinforcement system. After this process, concrete is poured into the system and it is left almost a week in order to make concrete strength. Then, the ropes are stretched with the help of a mechanical system. At this process, the ropes apply force to concrete towards up and this force decreases the deflection of the concrete floor towards to down. This stretching process is applied only one time and after this process, the ropes are completely located into the concrete in order to block the air contact. Via this post-tensioned concrete system, Mr. Kınacı said that they were even able to locate columns with 40 meters distances between them.

After explaining the system, he showed and gave information about his projects designed with post-tensioned concrete system. For example, in Sheraton Hotel project, while there is 2 columns alignment with 18 meters distance between them in aboveground floors, there is again 2 columns alignment with 23 meters distance in underground car parking floors. In order to do that, one column alignment should not continue underground level and Zafer Kınacı could do it with the usage of post-tensioned concrete. Another important example is Al Fateh University in İstanbul. At this project, it is possible to design structural system of columns with 40 meters distance and beams with 2 meters wide. If he used steel construction, the cost of the system was 2.300.000 dollars. However, he prefers post-tensioned concrete and the total cost was 950.000 dollars. The number is more than 2 times and it is very important for the client. Other example is Next Level in Ankara. Next Level is a complex building which consists of office, residence, shopping mall and car parking part to of each other. So, calculation and solution structural system which could be adaptable all types of usage is quite difficult. Via the characteristic of post-tensioned concrete, Mr. Kınacı could solve the whole structural system with a single grid. Besides these, the system enables architects and civil engineers to design columns with 80 centimeters wide. If we use reinforced concrete system, the columns should have 150 centimeters wide and it is very negative thing in terms of quality of spaces.

I am very happy to meet Mr. Kınacı because I heard about civil engineers that they always make troubles and do not let architects design structural system with less columns for wider spaces. However, Zafer Kınacı is very innovative civil engineer that all architects want to work with.

ARCH464: Organization in a Large Scale Project | CEM ALTINÖZ

Last week, Cem Altınöz participated in our Arch 464 course. Mr. Altınöz is one of the partners of Öncüoğlu Architects which is an architectural company in Ankara and also, he comes to the university as an instructor of our design courses in TEDU.

Cem Altınöz gave some information about project development process and organization in large scale projects in regarding to his experiences throughout his professional life. First of all, he pointed out the issue that the difference between large scale and small scale projects cannot be some more square-meter space. If we talk about a large scale project, there are lots of parameter and details. This means that large scale projects are not the projects designed by only an architect. At this point, architects should collaborate with different project groups and consultants. The communication between all groups is very important and it should be concurrent.

Mr. Altınöz said that –as architects- they have worked with almost 25 different project groups, consultants and the client. Then, he explained some of them. For example, acoustic of spaces is important and in order to provide accurate acoustic in space, there should be some calculations. The height of space, material characteristics and sound insulation are parameters of this calculation. Another important issue is fire escape. The consultant should be involved in the design process from the beginning because he calculates the escape distance, locations, exit of car parking area and the type of walls and doors. These calculations and decisions affect the plans of spaces.

Under the title of façade, the architects deal with almost 20 issues. For example heat, light and sound problems should be solved with a single and economic way. Thus, the architect should use a type of glass which blocks the heat and sound however takes the light inside at the same time. Calculation of the dimensions of glass in regarding to wind load and cost is another important detail. Also, the detailed plan and section drawings of façade are generally drawn by mechanical engineers.

Drawing and understanding ceiling plans are another important issue because all layers should be examined in terms of relations and combinations of systems. At this point, mechanical HVAC system plans are important.

Architectural section and plan drawings should be drawn with the details of material types, codes, layers of walls and floors. These drawings are also necessary for performing quantity takeoff. Besides, the zone list is made with plan drawings of floors.

The course was very informative in terms of having some information about project development process and its challenges. Thanks for the nice speech to Cem Altınöz.