Summaries

Konya Science Center is constructed on a plot with the area of 99.347 sqm on Konya-Ankara highway. Construction of the Science Center with the closed area of 26.248 sqm was undertaken by Konya Metropolitan Municipality whereas foundation of the exhibitions and training programs were established by TÜBİTAK. Science Center with its equipage is designed as a structure which will improve the development of scientific studies, documentaries and intellectual progress of science people of the future.

Largest area of the Science Center is reserved for indoor-outdoor exhibition areas. This structure is the first of its kind as it houses a planeterium and observatories. Furthermore, structure has a totally different characteristic in the sense of construction technique as concrete, steel and glass materials are used together. Roof of the main building with a diameter of 110 meters was constructed by using a different construction system without any concrete or steel columns, thus increasing the quality of the used area and providing aesthetics to the interior of the Science Center. Approximately 2.500 tonnes of steel used in construction whereas 10.000 sqm of roof covering and 25.000 sqm of granite is used throughout the structure. The main building of the Science Center with a basement, ground floor, 2 normal floors and a top floor is 110 meters in diameter and approximately 30 meters in height whereas the design was solved in a geodesic form. Planeterium structure has a diameter of 24 meters and a height of approximately 12 meters with a steel dome solved in geodesic form. The planeterium with its 800 sqm entrance, separate ticket booths, exhibition halls and capacity of 150 people is the first stationary planeterium of Turkey open to public. External façade of the main building is designed with sandblasting of Seljukian patterns on tempered glass. Access to observatories from main building is provided with 2 bridges. Composite panel covering is used in the external façade of observatory tower. A 4.058 sqm parking garage, exhibition halls, workshops, technical service rooms, cafeteria etc. units are located in the basement floor of the center. Ground floor is reserved only for exhibition halls and foyer. Dining halls, Konya history area, workshops for particular interests, library and health units are located on the first floor whereas administrative unit, meeting and resting rooms and information technology units are located on the second floor. Top floor is reserved as the mechanical floor. When the extraordinary architecture of the Science Center is combined with the 5.061 sqm mini Konya model area, observation towers and layout of main building in the area, green spaces, open carpark, recreational areas, walking trails, landscaping and its location, a visual feast is exhibited. We are of the opinion that Konya Science Center will become the new center of attraction of Konya with its characteristics harbored within.

Calculation and Design Principles
With regards to steel structure engineering, the most crucial part of Konya Science Center Project is the Main Building roof. Therefore, Main Building roof of the Science Center is described in detail. Similar principles were also applied to the shell roof of the planeterium. Reinforced concrete structure rests on a common raft foundation and divided into 7 parts with several joint types while the steel roof which covers the structure like an umbrella is supported with steel construction which is not in connection with/not supported by the reinforced concrete structure in order to avoid differential displacements. Structural calculations were made in Staad.pro software. Precise buckling analyses were performed especially for the solution of the shell structure.
One of the pre-requisites of shell structures is enabling bending continuity through the shell. This principle is satisfied with Icosa Systems ® connection details. In design, it is intended not to disrupt the theme desired by the architecture with the choice of cross-sections and their locations. Design is finalized with molding both structural and architectural requirements in one.
As there are no joints in the steel structure, thermal expansion effect is taken into consideration in design.
Installation requirements of the steel structure also affected the design of reinforced concrete sections.
Shell structure– elliptical in vertical and spherical in horizontal direction; Elliptical appearance of the shell structure in the vertical direction is enabled with two-axis and two-radius springs and shell surface is obtained by revolving these springs around the center whereas formed shell surface is intersected with flat curved surface. While a part of the shell roof rests on the ground floor of the building, the other end is supported by the main truss. With regards to characteristics of Icosa System® shell roof, each element is considered as approximately 3 meters and these elements are connected to each other in a way to also support the bending in the inner direction of the shell. Therefore, shell elements are sized in accordance with the axial and bending forces they would support. In accordance with the bending analyses performed on shell elements, one-layer geodesic system is preferred against a two-layer system as the proportion of bending factor in shell inner direction to shell-tangent direction is less than 2.
Main truss; a main truss (integrated to the shell) with the approximate depth of 3 meters with 3 caps is developed to support the tip portion of large elliptical-spherical shell. Main truss also supports the radial beams coming from the horizontal plane. Main truss continues along the intersected surface of the shell and proceeds down to ground floor of the structure.
Pressure Ring; Pressure ring is formed on a cross-section taken from the smaller sphere on the same plane to create a hinge connection to radial beams on flat surface. Pressure ring transfers the forces coming from the beams in surface direction to reinforced concrete fenders rising over the ground floor. On the horizontal direction, columns used in the entrance hinge the internal tip of the ring. This pressure ring also supports the spherical geodesic dome at the entrance at this point.