KICZERA Tower

Hourglass-shaped viewing tower (one-sheet hyperboloid) with height: 34.0m designed on the plan of a regular hexagon with a side of approximately 7.0m, building area: 126,75m2.

Foundation of the tower on a foundation slab. Main structure in the form of a grid of intersecting 12 glued laminated timber columns inscribed in the plane of the hyperboloid, topped by beams (glued laminated timber). Columns approximately 32m in length, the bases of the columns distributed over two circles (6+6, every 60°) with diameters respectively: 11.8m and 13.4m. The core of the tower is an octagonal glazed passenger lift shaft of 159mm diameter steel tubes with 60.3mm diameter steel tube braces. Surrounding the shaft is a 130cm wide, 16.5cm high steel fan staircase with rests every 14 steps. The tower has 3 viewing terraces at heights of +8.96m, +22.40m, +26.56m with a grid structure of rectangular steel beams. Each terrace is a rigid disc stabilised by timber columns. The uppermost terrace is roofed (wooden roof truss) and covered with glass panels. The roof truss in the form of 6 lattice girders resting on timber beams crowning the main columns and on a steel shaft. Between the girders, rafters spaced 80cm apart.

User benefits:

With reference to the programme areas that have been used in the AD programme, I set out below the benefits of their use in the corresponding order:

• possibility to import multiple DXF files into a single AD model, easy management of the systems to which they will be assigned
• intuitive and easy management of geometry in the model, conceptual changes do not require the introduction of a new model, but only some simple editing operations; quick use of functions by means of keyboard shortcuts
• maintenance of clarity and legibility of the design with the design viewer, easy selection, hiding and isolation of selected elements of the system
• presentation of elements by name in the construction presentation and clear presentation of dimensioning results for elements with the same name
• the possibility of marking elements by selected features (material, cross-section, name…) translates into a quick selection and filtering of the currently required elements
• the saved views provided a point of return to the visibility of previously selected elements, making it even faster to isolate and hide objects
• the introduction of cladding on selected elements without the need to draw contours and the introduction of loads on multiple elements in a few clicks saves a huge amount of time and reduces the risk of confusion
• it was not necessary to generate snow/wind loads on all the cladding; it was possible to select where the loads would appear; to specify the nature (function) of the cladding and adopt the climatic load accordingly
• ease of correctly orientating linear elements (timber columns, rigid elements), for elements distributed on a circle the angle of rotation is different; no need to calculate the correct angle; reduced risk of confusion; speed of work when entering multiple elements with different angles of rotation
• convenience and ease of checking the correct insertion of redundancies
• realistic representation of the work of the structure; additional bending/torsional moments in the main elements; failure to take into account the additional moments may lead to an erroneous overestimation of the load capacity of the elements;
• Realistic representation of design work due to joint flexibility; possibility to connect non-intersecting elements; smoothing of results (elimination of peaks)