Structural engineering: Tall buildings

We are proficient in connecting a diverse range of disciplines to optimise structural efficiency and achieve commercial and environmental sustainability.  Arup structural engineers produce holistic solutions for cost-effective buildings that attract premium tenants whilst keeping the architect’s design intent.

We are at the cutting-edge of construction-led design. The use of Building Information Modelling is now commonplace and through 4D interfaces, enables virtual models of buildings to be constructed that facilitate evaluation of erection strategy, sequence and timings. 

Sustainability is intrinsic to our approach to every tall building project. In close collaboration with architects and other engineering professionals, our structural engineers establish optimal building forms that result in better building performance

At 8 Bishopsgate, using advanced analytical modelling, we designed every structural element for the individual load it would bear across its design life, reducing the required steel weight by 25% and saving 5,000 tonnes of CO₂. This is more granular than the usual approach for tall buildings, where elements tend to be grouped and designed for the combined load. We saved a further 140 tonnes of CO₂ by optimising the beam spacing for the higher levels. Tall towers typically use piled foundations to transfer large vertical loads into the ground. We developed a better way to do this, adopting a pile assisted raft that reduced the number of piles from 89 to 28, saving two months on the construction programme, and required 3,000 cubic metres less concrete.