SpeedCore
In This Section
How Is It Different?
Erection times using a reinforced concrete core can vary, but a pace of three to five days per floor is not uncommon. With SpeedCore, however, it's possible to build four floors--that's two tiers--in a week. SpeedCore is a non-proprietary system, so many American steel fabricators can produce the panels--and it's worth having a fabricator on the design team from the get-go. "The early involvement of the steel fabricator and erector proved invaluable to guiding the design to one that was readily fabricated, transported, and erected without issue," Klemencic said.
Using SpeedCore also eliminates the persistent construction tolerance issues that tend to appear when using an embedded plate to combine concrete construction and steel construction. With SpeedCore, steel connection plates can be welded directly to the wall panel. Klemencic noted that the Rainier Square Tower has "highly efficient floors with no awkward corners and no inches wasted."
Compare the design schedule of a SpeedCore project to a reinforced concrete core wall project.
Compare the design schedule of a SpeedCore project to a reinforced concrete core wall project.
It is anticipated that once the SpeedCore system is more commonplace in the industry, the overall design schedule is expected to be on par with any other lateral force-resisting system.
Real-World Application | Rainier Square
Being the first project to implement the system in a high-seismic demand region, the requirements for a peer review of the system by the local building officials required additional review and approvals of the design, but the overall design, procurement, and construction schedules were coordinated with these additional efforts in mind.
How does the SpeedCore system compare to other lateral systems used in high rise buildings with respect to stiffness & strength?
How does the SpeedCore system compare to other lateral systems used in high rise buildings with respect to stiffness & strength?
SpeedCore is significantly stiffer than BRBF or ECBF framed cores. If proportioned similarly, SpeedCore would be comparable in stiffness and strength to a cast-in-place concrete core.
When comparing SpeedCore walls and reinforced concrete core walls, what is the potential reduction in wall thickness?
When comparing SpeedCore walls and reinforced concrete core walls, what is the potential reduction in wall thickness?
The potential reduction in wall thickness between the systems is a function of the overall building configuration and lateral demands and would need to be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. Given the composite action between steel and concrete, there is potential for a reduction in overall wall thickness but will be highly tied to the overall reinforcing ratio of the faceplates to the overall wall thickness.
Real-World Application | Rainier Square
In the case of the Rainier Square project, the overall out-to-out of the wall assembly was similar between the concrete core and the SpeedCore alternative due to overall building stiffness and strength considerations.
Can this system be retrofit for adaptive reuse?
Can this system be retrofit for adaptive reuse?
Similar to adaptive reuse of a conventional reinforced concrete shear wall, drastic changes to major core wall openings at the lobby, stair, and doorways would be challenging to implement. However, there is more flexibility in the case of SpeedCore due to the predictability of the system. No scanning is required to locate reinforcing bars (there is none). New wall openings can be coordinated with the layout of the cross-ties in mind and field reinforced with additional cover plates as deemed necessary.
What are the SpeedCore system benefits with respect to impact resistance?
What are the SpeedCore system benefits with respect to impact resistance?
When comparing a composite plate shear wall to an equal thickness, conventionally reinforced concrete shear wall, the faceplates add increased blast resistance.
References
DG 32: Design of Modular Steel-Plate Composite Walls for Safety-Related Nuclear Facilities §1.2.1(a)
Malushte, S.R. and Varma, A.H. (2015), “Rethinking Steel-Plate Composite (SC) Construction for Improved Sustainability and Resiliency of Nuclear Power Plants,” Nuclear Power International, Vol. 8, Issue 4."
Steel Solutions Center
The Steel Solutions Center is for people who need technical assistance, innovative solutions, or tools to make structural steel design even easier.