Title: Torre Caja Madrid: structural design of a singular 250 m building in Madrid

Author(s): Lakota, G.; Alarcón, A.

Publication: ACHE

Volume: 59

Issue: 249

Appears on pages(s): 181 - 202

Keywords: Tall buildings, Madrid, Cuatro Torres Business Area, Caja Madrid, office buildings.

DOI:

Date: 1/5/2008

Abstract:
Working closely with Foster and Partners, an astonishing column free base tower was created by supporting the entire weight of the building on only its two end cores. These heavily loaded cores allow the slender tower to efficiently resist wind loads. With a height to width ratio of 11 to 1, this 250 m tower is the ultimate in structural efficiency (See figure 1). To achieve this unique structure, steel trusses at intermediate mechanical levels channel loads from the floors above to the cores and serve as beams in a ?mega-frame? to stiffen the tower. Special attention was given to redundancy; insuring structural stability should localized damage fail components of these trusses.