Summaries

<b>Property Owner:</b> Georgia Ministry of Justice (Georgia)

<b>Architectural Design:</b> Architects of Invention (UK)

<b>Static Design:</b> Engenuity (UK)

<b>Workshop Project Design:</b> Atak Mühendislik İnşaat San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

<b>Steel Construction Manufacturer:</b> Atak Mühendislik İnşaat San. ve Tic. A.Ş.

<b>Total Steel Construction Tonnage:</b> 600 tons

<b>Project Location and Year:</b> Lazika/Georgia, 2012

 

The Lazika Ministry of Justice Building located in the newly founded city Lazika on the Black sea coast of Georgia is a mesmerizing steel construction with a distinct architectural design. Atak Mühendislik responsible for the steel construction manufacture and installation of this innovative design completed the project in 2012. 

The three volumes of the structure are all detached from the ground at different levels and each is devoted to a different function. Each of these three volumes operates self-sufficiently and has a separate entrance from the street but they are also inter-connected. The volume on the ground level is designated as the main Public Services Hall, with easy access at street level. The second volume is dedicated for use as a wedding ceremony hall with direct access to a large terrace. 

The third volume floats 20m above the ground and contains office spaces. Only pillars and circulation points touch the ground. The perforated steel-sheet-cladding finishing of the facade of the top volume bring 50% transparency and lend a solid quality to the volume at the same time. The steel frame structure is integrated throughout all parts of the design and this frame is exposed to emphasize the building's technology and spirit of innovation. The top volume has the dimensions of 35mx35m, and its downward projection describes the contours of the building. A specific appearance was given to each functional volume  - the transparent public hall, the semi-transparent wedding hall, and the translucent offices. The public hall has clear walls on all four sides. The wedding hall is a dynamic volume where floor, wall and ceiling utilize the same material - and the curve they describe brings dynamics to the adjacent terrace that lies underneath the top volume. The top volume is an enclosed mass, concentrated on the activity of office work, but it too, gives precedence to the void at its center.

UK based company Engenuity created the structural design of the project. The structural frame is constructed from steel, utilizing a series of raking steel columns to produce the dramatic floated upper platform. The floors were designed as steel reinforced concrete composite. One of the challenges of the design was the active seismic condition of the region. The water table is between 1 and 1.5 m below ground level and is one of the worst ground conditions for seismic design. Control of settlements due to organic layers and control of potential liquefaction of the ground during a seismic event were the main concerns and the foundation solution was for 80 piles 800 mm diameter and up to 25m deep. Alongside geological and structural criteria, economy was a determining factor in the design. A key consideration in the design was the need to control costs where possible but also to use local materials and local labor. Normally this would push the design towards a structural concrete solution in Georgia. However the complexity of the project dictated that the project is best developed using a Structural Steel Framing Solution.

The structure was analyzed with the finite element analysis prepared under the effects of vertical, wind and earthquake loads. Atak Mühendislik revised Engenuity's design in terms of manufacturability and material availability. After the revision the profiles selected by Engenuity for the design were replaced with easily available profiles with the same strength and carrying capacity. Especially the replacement of the selected drawn steel pipes with spiral seem pipes lent the project economy and speed. The detailing of the structure, taking into consideration the transportation and installation, was completed by the cooperation of Engenuity and Atak Mühendislik. After manufacture oriented workshop project design, all of the structural steel manufacture was completed in Ankara. The manufactured steel was transported to Georgia via TIRs. After sand blasting the products were coated with 60-micron epoxy primer and sent to the building site. The last coat consisting of fire resistant paint was performed at the building site. An installation team of 15 people from Turkey completed the installation. Local cranes were used for installation.