On June 22, 2011, Mr. Daniel Brodkin, P.E. of ARUP presented a technical lecture to the Structures Group on a new construction of Northwest Corner Building at Columbia University. This building features a mix of laboratories, two levels of library space, a lobby and café, a 200-seat lecture hall and various classrooms and research workspaces, and is designed to promote interdisciplinary study.
One of the major technical challenges of the project was the construction of the new building over Dodge Hall, the existing low-rise gymnasium. The need to span the gym posed challenges to design and construction as well as to meeting the stringent vibration requirements of the laboratories. The proximity of the New York City subway also posed a challenge to mitigating vibration. The structural solution to spanning the gym, based on a structurally-guided random bracing technique, came to characterize the architectural design. Close collaboration with the Construction Manager informed the design and yielded an effective construction process. As intended, the primary structure was erected off-season, with no interruption to the basketball team's schedule.
