May_1970 — Page 31

Staggered truss design resists earthquakes

Staggered location of interior walls

IMPROVEMENTS to a construction method that adopts staggered trusses, instead of the conventional vertical walls and trusses, have been an- nounced by its joint developers, Nip- pon Kokan and Takenaka Komuten of Japan.

The improved method is said to be particularly important to South East Asia and other earthquake-prone zones as it affords a high degree of resistance to the lateral force of earthquakes and storms. It has been dubbed the 'Bee- hive Truss System' because of the shape of the structure.

The basic principle of the Beehive truss system is not new. It was first developed in the United States several years ago by the Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology.

The main improvements in the recently announced method are the use of tubular members in the wall and securing the trusses by welding. Ac- cording to the developers the pipe provides improved structural strength compared with conventional beams and angles.

Construction by this method is re- ported to reduce material require- ments by 15 to 20 per cent compared with conventional methods; the added structural strength of the system en- ables buildings to be constructed with fewer walls than normal structures.

The smaller number of walls in- creases floor space and also increases the overall size of rooms. This makes the method particularly suitable for buildings that require partitioning into numerous rooms, such as hospitals, hotels and apartments.

NKK and Takenaka plan to export the system. Its first use in Japan will be on a 14-storey apartment building for Nippon Kokan employees in Yo- kohama. To be completed later this year, the block will provide accom- modation for 252 families.

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Fourteen-storey apartment building planned by Nippon Kokan

Far East BUILDER, May 1970

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