Structural design of the Spanish Pavilion for the Expo 2010 in Shanghai

摘要

The Spanish Pavilion for the Expo 2010 to take place in Shanghai, China, is the result ofrna strong collaboration between Architecture and Structure. Along with a striking wicker cover, the highlyrnirregular, curved free form of the building designed by the architecture office Miralles/Tagliabue EMBT,rnis its main characteristic. A double mesh of steel tubes, adequately defined in order to optimize both itsrnstructural behavior and ease of manufacture and construction, forms the structural facade, which supportsrnthe wicker panels on the outside layer, and a glass curtain wall and blind cladding on the inside, asrnwell as bearing the floors and roofs of the building. To precisely predict the performance of the structuralrnsystem under wind load and earthquake actions, special analysis procedures were applied. Computationalrnfluid dynamic analysis was performed to determine the complicated wind characteristics of the free formrnof the building. Response spectrum analysis of the structure was employed to predict the member forcesrnand building deflections under earthquake. 3D time history analysis was also conducted under earthquakernground motions with local site features.