Lumiere Residences Structural Design

Posted on by DMCI Homes

The Project

Lumiere Residences is DMCI Homes’ latest resort-style development in Pasig City. The development has two (2) towers: East Tower with 36 residential floors and West Tower with 37 residential floors, and six (6) basement parking levels. Rising from 1.2 hectares of prime land, Lumiere Residences offers a mix of larger-than-usual Studio, 2-Bedroom and 3-Bedroom units.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued a certificate indicating that Lumiere Residences is located approximately 25 meters west of the nearest segment of the West Valley Fault line (FC-Aug-11-239). The project site is well beyond Phivolcs’ recommended buffer zone of at least 5 meters on both sides of the fault trace and clear of the mandatory 5 meter easement on both sides of the fault line by the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree 957: The Subdivision & Condominium Buyers Protective Decree.

Based on the soil investigation undertaken by Astec Materials Testing Corporation on Novenber 2012, Lumiere Residences sits on the Guadalupe Plateau that is known to be underlain by Guadalupe Tuff Formation, often referred to as ‘adobe’. This type of soil is considered to be the most suitable soil for building construction.

Lumiere Residences has been issued an Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC-NCR-1301-0006) by The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last February 2013.

LMR Infographic

The Structural Design

DMCI Homes commissioned the expertise of a structural design firm, Macro Consulting Structural Engineers, Co. A seasoned team of civil and structural engineering experts who have worked beside and were mentored by the masters and principals of leading design consultancy firms in the country. The company has a portfolio spanning from the Middle East to Asia, from hotels, high-rise residential buildings and mixed-use developments to international airports. As a Philippine-based structural design firm, Macro Consulting Structural Engineers, Co. is adept in designing buildings that meet the structural performance requirements for earthquake prone zones.

Lumiere Residences is designed to resist lateral forces, wind and earthquake by using dual system: a combination of moment resisting frames and shear walls or braced frames is designed and capable to resist lateral forces caused by wind and seismic load. It also provides ductile behavior to the building’s stability. The building’s structural design is compliant with the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the National Building Code and National Structural Code of the Philippines’ (2010 NSCP).

 

 

 

 

The Developer

Lumiere Residences is developed by DMCI Homes, the country’s leader in resort-inspired developments. The company traces its roots to D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) known as “Builder of Landmarks” and recognized for pioneering applications of advanced engineering technology in Philippine construction. DMCI has more than 60 years of expertise in the industry with a portfolio of commercial establishments, high-rise offices, residential condominiums and infrastructure projects that take up most of Makati Central Business District’s and Ortigas Central Business District’s skyline.

DMCI Homes, a main proponent of resort-style living in the Philippines, has been building high-rise projects, mid-rise condo communities, exclusive subdivisions, and leisure residences for more than a decade. The constant stream of projects provides an opportunity for the company to calibrate designs and methods. One of the company’s architectural innovations includes Lumiventt, from ‘lumen’ meaning light and ‘ventus’ meaning wind. With Lumiventt design technology, DMCI Homes shows its prodigious skills in engineering by designing buildings that breathe.

DMCI designs earthquake-resistant structures

Posted on by DMCI Homes

CREDIT TO : Philstar.com

http://www.philstar.com/real-estate/2013/12/06/1264559/dmci-designs-earthquake-resistant-structures

MANILA, Philippines – In media and casual conversations, the terms “magnitude” and “intensity” are often interchanged whenever the severity of a quake is discussed.

Thus, to help Filipinos start being earthquake-smart, DMCI Homes asked engineers Brian Tan and Ronald Santiago to sort out the myths from the facts.

Tan holds a Master of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a specialization in geotechnical engineering, and taught graduate level course in earth structures at UP Diliman where he earned his doctorate.

Santiago, for his part, is the managing partner of Macro Consulting Structural Engineers, a trusted structural engineering firm involved in earthquake engineering, structural inspection and investigation, and civil works engineering.

“Magnitude is a measure of how strong the earthquake was in terms of energy. So for a magnitude of 6.9, a scientist would know that’s more or less equivalent to so many atomic bombs exploded,” Tan explained.

On the other hand, intensity is the subjective measure of how an earthquake is felt at a certain location. “That’s why we have different intensity values for one earthquake” per locality. Intensity also depends on the magnitude of an earthquake, how close you are to the earthquake, how deep the earthquake was, and what the soil conditions are,”  he added.

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Santiago, meanwhile, said his team is always asked about the maximum earthquake intensity that a building can withstand. He said the country’s present building code does not specify this, but our structures are designed based on code requirements that have redundant safety factors.

“Our current code, which is the National Structural Code of the Philippines , is based on the Uniform Building Code. Our buildings are designed to be on the conservative side, both in terms of performance and codal analysis, which is actually safer.”

Tan also said there is no such thing as an earthquake-proof building. Well-designed and constructed buildings, however, may be called “earthquake-resistant.”

Both experts also dispelled other misconceptions such as Japan’s building rollers being touted as providing the best ‘earthquake-proof’ option. Tan corrected the misimpression and mentioned that there is a maximum height that a building can use roller bearings. “Of course it would lessen what you feel but then you don’t need to have it to be earthquake-resistant.”

Tan mentioned the 2004 Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study that considered the potential effects of a major earthquake in Metro Manila. He explained that the worst affected will be those whose homes and buildings that were built haphazardly, which is why the report emphasized the importance of properly-engineered buildings. “I think the point is that it’s really all about design and construction.”

“Unlike other real estate firms, DMCI Homes as a builder-developer  performs civil, structural and architectural works of the projects in-house,” said Gerry Ancheta, DMCI Homes VP for design and engineering.

Before acquiring land for development, a soil investigation is conducted first. Results are then passed on to renowned geotechnical experts like Tan, who will recommend the capacity of the soil to the structural designers like Santiago. Philvocs certifications on fault line distances and NSCP guidelines and provisions are of course, mandatory considerations. In addition, all high-rise residential developments of DMCI Homes are reviewed by third-party consultants abroad who work with the local engineers on record. All these form the basis of the structural design of the buildings within DMCI Homes developments.

DMCI Homes, part of the DM Consunji conglomerate well-regarded in the industry for its almost 60 years of pioneering construction achievements and world-class engineering, assures home seekers and its residents that the company performs thorough evaluation before even coming up with a plan for every project.

“At this point when people are more anxious in choosing the right investment and value for hard-earned money, it’s really a matter of trust and relying on reputation,” Tan said.