STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF A HOSPITAL BUILDING

Abstract

Undertaking the "Structural Analysis and Design of a Hospital Building" project is a crucial element of the final year program for Bachelor's in Civil Engineering offered by Tribhuvan University. It serves as a means of comprehending the practical challenges encountered in real-world scenarios and consolidates the theoretical knowledge gained over the four-year study period with the assistance of the Department of Civil Engineering and our supervisor. Nepal has experienced significant earthquake-related disasters in the past due to structural failures, highlighting the need for special attention. Thus, it is crucial to focus on earthquake-resistant design principles for this project. Therefore, the limit state design approach is employed throughout the project to ensure safety. The project involves calculating various parameters, such as preliminary design, load assessment, base shear, lateral loading, center of mass, and center of stiffness. These calculations are integral parts of the analysis and design process, enabling the team to make informed decisions and ensure the building's structural integrity against seismic activity. The project aims to assess the safety, serviceability, and cost-effectiveness of the building's structural design. The structural members of the building experience various loading conditions, leading to the development of stresses, deformations, and deflections. Hence, structural analysis is performed on these members to evaluate these factors. The building is modeled in the computer program ETABS, which enables various analyses to be performed under normal and lateral loading conditions. The project team determines the maximum probable load combination that may occur throughout the building's lifetime. For critical loading conditions, detailed structural design of the members is carried out. Finally, the team produces detailed drawings of all the structural members based on the design specifications. Overall, the project involves an extensive analysis and design process to ensure that the building can withstand expected loads and stresses, while also being cost-effective.