The Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Imperial Gate to the Palace.

One of the buildings situated within the Palace walls. The wide eaves are to note with the extravagent detailing in the Islamic style.
Note the geometric shapes used for decoration, geometry is an important part of Islamic Architecture.
The entrance to the Harem quarters within the Palace, which faces the Golden Horn in the Bosphorus.

The rich detailing of the entrance to one of the seperate buildings within the Palace.

The Topkapi Palace was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853. Topkapi Palace was more than just the private residence of the Sultan and his court. It was the seat of the supreme executive and judiciary council, the Divan and the training school, the Palace School. In the First Courtyard, there were a hospital, bakery,arsenal, a state mint, a part of the treasury and the Outer Service. It was open to public. The Second Courtyard was open to people who had business with the council. The Third Courtyard was reserved to the Sultan's household and palace children. The Fourth Courtyard was exclusively reserved for the Sultan's use.

For a 360 degrees virtual tour of the Palace and its rooms: http://www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr/

This website will also provide you with other information such as opening hours of the museum and a detailed historical background.

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque also known as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

The mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet during the years 1610-1616. It was designed by the architect Sedefkar Mehmed Aga in the style of Islamic Architecture. The construction system used for the structure of the mosque is bearing masonry.

"The cube is topped by an ascending system of domes and semi-domes, culminating in the central dome, which is 33 meters in diameter and 43 meters high at its central point. The overall effect is one of perfect visual harmony, leading the eye up to the peak of the dome.The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the only mosque in Turkey that has six minarets.

At its lower levels the interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles, made at Iznik. Its upper levels are painted. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found that were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders. The decorations include verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time. The floors are covered with carpets, which are donated by faithful people and are regularly replaced as they become worn out.
The most important element in the interior of the mosque is the mihrab, which is made of finely carved and sculptured marble, the adjacent walls sheathed in ceramic tiles."

*Quotated text from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmet_Mosque

Hagia Sophia is covered by a central dome which has a diameter of 31.87 meters and a height from floor level of 55.60 meters, slightly smaller than the dome of the Pantheon. The dome seems rendered weightless by the unbroken arcade of arched windows under it, which help flood the colourful interior with light.
The dome is carried on pendentives — four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base. At Hagia Sophia the weight of the dome passes through the pendentives to four massive piers at the corners. Between them the dome seems to float upon four great arches.
At the western (entrance) and eastern (liturgical) ends, the arched openings are extended by half domes carried on smaller semidomed exedras. Thus a hierarchy of dome-headed elements builds up to create a vast oblong interior crowned by the main dome, a sequence unexampled in antiquity. All interior surfaces are sheathed with polychrome marbles, green and white with purple porphyry and gold mosaics, encrusted upon the brick. On the exterior, simple stuccoed walls reveal the clarity of massed vaults and domes.


A cross section through the building.

*Text and cross section from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia

My visit to Istanbul!!!

Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque also known as the Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

The mosque built in 1854 was designed to Neo-Baroque style.

Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque in Famagusta, North Cyprus. The building which was constructed between the years 1298-1312 in the Lusignan period is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures of the Meditteranean region. In 1571 the cathedral was turned into a mosque by the Ottoman Turks. The architecture of the western front of the building has been influenced by the architecture of the Reims Cathedral. It has an unparalleled window with Gothic style tracery.

The Bellapais Monastery in Kyrenia, North Cyprus.

The monastery is a example of Gothic architecture. It is comprised of an arcade of pointed arches and vaults. The first monastery building was constructed between 1198-1205. Most sections of the building which can be seen today was built by the French King Hugh III between 1267-1284.

The ruins of the ancient city of Salamis in North Cyprus, which was founded towards the end of the Bronze Age. The city was destroyed by several earthquakes, it is mainly built out of stone. In the foreground is the theatre and in the distance is the agora. The theatre comprises the stage building, the orchestra, and seating arrangements for an audience of 15 thousand people. The stage building had a twofold function: it was used as a dressing room by the actors and it provided the stage with a background.

Some extra stuff- my holiday in North Cyprus!!!!

St. Hilarion Castle in Kyrenia, North Cyprus. It is estimated that it was built in the 11th century. St. Hilarion Castle was originally built as a watch tower to give warning of approaching Arab pirates who launched a continuous series of raids on Cyprus and the coasts of Anatolia. The castle is built on the peak of a mountain, which has a spectacular view of the north coast of cyprus. It has rock foundations as the mountain is made out of rock and marble. The openings in walls are mainly arched openings.

The monastery in St. Hilarion Castle.

The St. Barnabas Monastery in North Cyprus.

3D Model of the base connection in a portal frame, which I modelled up on Revit.

Non-Shrink Grout

Some information about non-shrink grout applied underneath the base-plate of the column.

Some information on the types of holding down bolts. I had this handout from the Building Design & Technology course that I completed at RMIT.

My tour of the Steel Fabricating Factory.

Shop drawings that I got my hands on from the Steel Fabricator that I visited. They were very helpful in providing me with information and the drawings.

Article #6

One of the finalists: The Hagia Sophia

New World Wonders: Which one would you chose?
BY ELIANE ENGELER and ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS
-- WASHINGTON POST SERVICE
GENEVA, Switzerland -- A global competition to name the new seven wonders of the world is attracting widespread interest, with more than 40 million people voting so far, organizers say.
The Egyptian pyramids are the only surviving structures from the original list of seven architectural marvels and will be an honorary member of the new list. Long gone are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Pharos lighthouse off Alexandria. Those seven were deemed wonders in ancient times by observers of the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Candidates for the new list have been narrowed down to 20, including the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal and Peru's Machu Picchu. The public can vote until July 6 by Internet or phone. The seven winners will be announced July 7 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Choosing world wonders has been a continuing fascination over the centuries. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, keeps updating its list of World Heritage Sites, which now totals 830 places.
The ''New 7 Wonders of the World'' campaign was begun in 1999 by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, with almost 200 nominations coming in from around the world.
Weber's Switzerland-based foundation aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments. It relies on private donations and revenue from selling broadcasting rights.
In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu, the finalists are the Acropolis; Statue of Liberty; Turkey's Haghia Sophia; the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral; the Colosseum; Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle; Stonehenge; Spain's Alhambra; the Great Wall; Japan's Kiyomizu Temple; the Sydney Opera House; Cambodia's Angkor; Timbuktu; Petra, Jordan; Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer; Easter Island; and Chichen Itza, Mexico.

Construction plays a major part in everyones lives, the article above demonstrates the importance of architecture in the world. Architecture has been around for centuries, and has always been important in the lives of man-kind as history has proven with the all time famous "7 wonders of the ancient world". The competition for the search of the new "7 wonders of the modern world" brings to our attention the development of architecture and construction since the ancient world. It has become clear that structures we build become landmarks and attractions to certain places. With so many people being involved in the voting for the search of the new 7 wonders, shows us that the work within the construction industry is greatly appreciated all over the world, and will continue that way for many more centuries to come.

Article #5

Dubai to have at least six supertowers by '15
By Saifur Rahman, Business News Editor
Dubai: The fast-changing Dubai skyline will sport at least six "supertowers" of more than 100 habitable floors, more than any other city in the world, as per information available.
The supertowers are Burj Dubai (where work continues after the completion of 126 floors), Burj Al Alam (slated to rise to 108 floors), the 101-storey Marina 101, Princess Tower (107 floors), the 120-storey Pentominium and Al Burj (which is expected to have between 180 and 200 floors).
Most of these buildings are in various stages of planning and construction although Burj Dubai - tipped to become the world's tallest tower - is powering ahead, adding a floor a week, and at least three others are in the early stages of construction. Work on Al Burj is not expected to start until Burj Dubai, whose height and floor-level are closely-guarded secrets, is completed.
So Dubai will remain in the news for developing supertowers until at least 2015. No city other than Dubai and Chicago hosts more than one supertower.
Chicago has two - the 108-storey Sears Towers and the 100-storey John Hancock Center. A third, the 118-floor 7 South Dearborn tower, is under construction.The development of six "supertowers" will raise Dubai's stature among the world's megacities, not only in terms of height, but also beauty, aesthetics and design quality, architects and designers say.
Apart from Burj Dubai or Al Burj, which will probably be remembered more for their towering heights, Burj Al Arab, Dancing Towers and Dubai Towers might be photographed by tourists for their striking design and aesthetic appeal.
"When we design, we design the present, which shapes the future. It is about shaping a contemporary world," Karim Rashid, Designer with Karim Rashid Inc of the US, said at an IDF panel yesterday.
In terms of development, Dubai has one of the highest number of towers and skyscrapers under construction including hundreds on both sides of Shaikh Zayed Road, while more than 1,850 will be constructed at the Dubai World Central Airport City in Jebel Ali.
By 2015, Dubai will have six "supertowers" that will rise more than 100 habitable floors making it the only city with so many towers with more than 100 floors once completed, according to available information.
These are Burj Dubai, which has already reached 126 floors and is still going strong; Burj Al Alam, slated to rise to 108 floors; the 101 storey Marina 101; Princess Tower with 107 floors; the 120-storey Pentominium and Al Burj which, as "one of the tallest towers" is expected to be between 180 and 200 floors.
Apart from these, a number of skyscrapers that will rise 80-100 floors are being built, including the 90-storey Marina 23 by ETA Star and the 90-storey Al Sharq Tower on Shaikh Zayed Road - all iconic projects.
When completed, the number of supertowers in the city will be more than those developed in the rest of the world.

Dubai is currently booming in the construction industry and is continuously making headlines with the "Palm Islands", "The World Islands", the "Burj Al-Arab", the expansion and development of its airport and now in its skyscrapers. As mentioned above it is proposed to build six skyscrapers in Dubai, making it the city with the most skyscrapers in the world. When designing these structures, there are several environmental impacts that need to be considered. Dubai is a coastal city therefore the impact of windloads needs to be considered, and seeming as these buildings are to be enormously high the impact of windloads becomes greater as you increase in height above sea level. The design of these "supertowers" involve more engineering than what a common commercial grade building would.
In designing these structures at such close proximity to one another, it is surely to make a large impact on the environment. Overshadowing is an obvious one, but also loads on the earths surface can bring about natural disasters such as earthquakes. The competitiveness of human nature can sometimes bring about unfortunate disasters. Must we be so greedy in obtaining the title of "leader in the world"? As we must carry on doing our jobs, let us try and make a change to the way things are done in the construction industry. Let us not think about obtaining grand titles for ourselves, but think about the impact our work does to the environment and our surroundings.

Image borrowed from ODR

Here is some more information on the building that i've been studying this semester....

Project: Proposed Warehouse & Office for the Australian Postal Service.
Designer: ODR- North Fitzroy
Builder: Tim Tosevski
Soil Type: P Class (Clay)

Axonometric detail of a box gutter treatment in a portal frame construction.

Attachment of suspended slab to concrete panel.

Suspended ceiling treatment on a suspended slab.

Parapet and box gutter detail.

Details of accessable deck areas on commercial multi-storey office buildings.

Suspended ceiling systems provide an aesthetically pleasing look by covering services located within the ceiling. They are usually composed of removable panels such as the one above will be, for the purpose of providing easy access into the ceiling.

Article #4

Article from BDAV News Vol.13, Edition 4, May 07

Global warming is a topic that has risen in the recent years and has brought about environmental awareness to the population. The consruction industry is a large contributer to the carbon emissions that are released into the environment. With the introduction of the 5 star energy efficient homes by the Victorian government, we are ensuring that a home can continue to be energy efficient during its lifespan rather than only during its construction process. The introduction of energy efficient buildings within the commercial class of buildings is being discussed and seems to be gaining a positive approach from the industry. It is being encouraged that energy efficient building materials are used when buildings are being designed and to think not only about the construction process of the building but also the future in relation to its maintanence.

5 star energy rating | Herald Sun

A video clip on how to achieve a 5 star energy rated house. Not related to commercial construction entirely more to do with residential, though I thought it might be interesting.

Formwork is used to have a clean edge and support the concrete when pouring the slab. The material used for the formwork is timber, and it is supported by strut-like members that are pegged to the ground. In this case we have an infill slab, where the slab is poured when all the structure is up. This slab isn't supporting any of the structural members. The infill slab is composed of fabric mesh, coarse aggregate and damp proof membrane. Due to the large open space, the slab isn't poured in one go, it may take several pours to complete the job.

Adjustable box gutter bracket by Jonda Pty. Ltd. http://www.jonda.com.au/files/AdjustableBoxGutterBrackets.pdf

The internal downpipe connected to the sump. Usually the reason why the downpipes are placed internally is for aesthetic reasons, it can also be if the building is built on the boundary. The box gutter brackets with the roof sheeting can be seen, this is a system used to support the box gutter and make it secure and safe to walk on.

Above is where the roof slopes into the box gutter. The box gutter is up against the parapet and as seen in the middle picture it is supported by gutter brackets. Box gutters are a minimal 300 wide by 100 deep in size, they shouldn't be designed any smaller than this. The size of the box gutter depends on several factors. These are the rainfall intensity, roof area, the risk factor and the volume of water that is to be drained from the roof.