Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China. Photos courtesy The Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Company.
Shanghai Tower
Overview
Thornton Tomasetti provided structural engineering and curtain wall peer review services for one of the world’s most distinctive and innovative supertall buildings. At 632 meters, in 2015 Shanghai Tower became China’s tallest building and the second tallest building in the world. The mixed-use development comprises 380,000 square meters and includes Class A office space, retail, a luxury hotel, 2,200-seat arena, and connections to the Shanghai Metro and three floors of below-grade parking. It also features the world’s highest non-enclosed observation deck.
Creative, yet cost-effective
Thornton Tomasetti engineered a simple, safe and cost-effective structural system that enables a creative architectural form. The tower features a twisting triangular form with a façade that curves 120 degrees from its base. Its structural system consists of a 90-by-90-foot concrete core connected to a system of outriggers and super columns supported on 1,079 concrete and steel bore piles driven deep into ground. The outrigger trusses and super columns derive stiffness from the concrete inner building, comprising an effective system for resisting wind and seismic loads for supertall buildings. Working with the architect, we refined the tower’s form and reduced building wind loads by 24 percent, which resulted in a lighter structure and reduced material cost.
Tall and Green
The project incorporates the latest sustainable technologies, including wind turbines and solar panels as renewable energy sources to achieve a low carbon footprint. The project achieved LEED Platinum for Core and Shell certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Team members
Our team
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Dennis C.K. Poon Vice Chairman -
Yi Zhu Managing Principal & Shanghai Office Director -
Mark E. Dannettel Principal -
Paul Fu Senior Principal & Beijing Office Director -
Steven Pacitto Principal & General Director -
Ali Ashrafi Associate Principal -
Torsten Gottlebe Associate Principal -
Chi Chung (Billy) Tse Associate Principal -
Michael Jiang Vice President -
Jianhai Liang Vice President -
Liling Cao Vice President -
John Barry Vice President
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Dennis C.K. Poon Vice Chairman
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Yi Zhu Managing Principal & Shanghai Office Director
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Paul Fu Senior Principal & Beijing Office Director
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Steven Pacitto Principal & General Director
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Ali Ashrafi Associate Principal
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Torsten Gottlebe Associate Principal
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Chi Chung (Billy) Tse Associate Principal
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Michael Jiang Vice President
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Jianhai Liang Vice President
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Liling Cao Vice President
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