For Singapore based structural designer Hossein Rezai Jorabi, it is the excitement of creating something real and making a difference to the landscape that drives him even now to take up competition winning real estate projects. It is this energy which had Jorabi take up the challenge to develop a clubhouse a multi layered skybridge straddled between two towers some 100 meters or so above ground in Kolkata.
Unperturbed by natural calamities like tsunami or even tornado, Jorabi says today, world has the technical knowledge and the expertise to deal with these. He feels that "Structural engineering has made significant progress in formulating the necessary design processes to deal with the load-effects arising from gravity, wind and seismic forces on tall structural frames. The governing and limiting considerations are more economical than technical.”
In fact, Jorabi points out that "It was encouraging to note that not a single fatality was reported to have resulted from collapsed buildings during the earthquake in Japan. Almost the entire fatalities were from the ensuing tsunami."
Architects, realtors, home buyers and critics world over have been beset with tall buildings not sure whether these buildings can withstand tornadoes, hurricane, typhoons, Katrina & Rita. Jorabi, however, is of the view that "skyscrapers is the future and the world should better prepare themselves, their lifestyle, design and construction processes to embrace tall buildings."
What should be kept in mind is that structural design of tall buildings tends to be. He explained that "Building structures of more than 40 to 50 storeys are rarely governed by earthquake forces! The accumulative effects of wind pressures on taller buildings tend to result in higher lateral forces on the structure than those from earthquakes.”
A pioneer of fusion engineering who spends most of his time innovating designs and systems for even earthquake prone cities, Jorabi who has also been a visiting lecturer to the University of Westminster, London, admits Nature can be very intelligent indeed, and we still have a lot to learn from it. Our innovation drive must be a two pronged approach fusing design innovation with new materials and building technologies.
(Sourced from ET)
