Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Bree Renz
C
Terrance Reimer
onXtech is a systemized ap- concrete, or steel-framed methods. The SMRSF joint assembly is com-
proach to steel construction Simmons originally selected concrete prised of four inner and four outer col-
that encompasses a suite for his concept but found that formwork lar plates. Each of the inner collar plates
of standardized structural costs and lack of architectural exibility is machined to include a male dovetail
components, including bolt- made steel a more practical solution. and is welded to each face of the HSS 8x8
less base plates, an exterior wall panel By January 2001, Simmons had de- column at oor to oor increments. Each
system, a stair system, a rooftop davit veloped several new concepts for a steel outer collar plate is machined to include
system, and a concrete oor system. moment space frame using a self-align- a female dovetail slot contoured to the in-
ConXCAD, a parametric modeling ing, gravity stabilized joint that required verse shape of the male projection on the
software suite, allows architects to easily no eld welding. He collaborated with inner collar plate. The outer collar plate
adjust structural grid dimensions, even Walid Naja, S.E., to further develop and is mitered and drilled along the exterior
late in the design process. rene the Simmons Moment Resisting edges to receive diagonal bolts. Outer
Founder Robert J. Simmons had long Space Frame (SMRSF), a bolted collar collar plates are robotically welded to the
envisioned a concept that would stream- system for interconnecting columns and ends of the 12 wide-ange beams.
line traditional building processes. He beams. Field assembly is simple: drop one
wanted to create a building system that Structural analysis by Constantine beam/outer collar plate assembly over
would enable mass customization of high Shuhaibar, Ph.D., led to the use of the the male projection on the inner collar
quality, mid- to high-rise residential build- RBS (Reduced Beam Section) concept as plate assemblies on each of the four faces
ings and that would be faster and more an energy dissipating component to en- of the HSS 88 column. Once the beam/
cost effective than conventional wood, sure the SMRSF qualied as a special mo- outer collar plate assemblies have been
ment frame under the latest FEMA and located on each face of the column, high
AISC provisions. strength bolts are inserted into the di-
When it became clear a building com- agonal holes in the adjoining outer collar
prised of all SMRSF joints would be cost plates and pre-tensioned to form a rigid
prohibitive, Walid suggested using a moment collar assembly that surrounds
gravity connection for the perimeter of the column.
the structure, Simmons said. Simmons The ConX gravity connection is plasma
designed a simple drop and click self- cut with a simple ange cope and hook in
aligning gravity stabilized connection the web of the beam that drops into a re-
that could be utilized around a buildings ceptacle piece on the HSS 44 column and
perimeter, known as the ConX Gravity is later bolted. Similar to the SMRSF full
Joint. moment resisting connection, the grav-
ity connection is self-aligning and gravity
Structural Frame stabilized.
ConXtech reduces the structural frame ConXtechs interlocking joints drasti-
to a few common components: HSS 88 cally reduce erection time, site generated
and HSS 44 columns, 12 wide-ange waste, and overall risk because all compo-
The Simmons Moment Resisting Space Frame beams, and two jointsthe SMRSF full nents are fabricated in a highly automated
connection is integral to the ConXtech structur- moment joint and the ConX Gravity factory environment. In the eld, iron
al framing system. (US patent No. 6,837,016. Joint. workers simply drop and click beams
Other patents pending.)
Seismic Advantages
In high seismic zones, the ConXtech
system allows for much taller buildings
than could be constructed in wood and
can have substantial design, time, and
cost advantages over concrete or conven-
tional steel.
Terrance Reimer
The SMRSF joint has been subject to ex-
tensive in-house testing, as well as 17 full-
scale tests conducted at the University
of Arizonas seismic testing laboratory. It
Day 1 of erection of Building 1 at Santana Row (see sidebar). ConXtechs interlocking joints
has also been scrutinized by engineering drastically reduce erection time.
experts through peer reviews required by
the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and dance with the 2002 AISC Seismic Provi- blies are manufactured at the companys
Palo Alto. sions, said Raymond Kitasoe, P.E., ConX- facility in Hayward, CA. Key to manu-
The panel determined that the SMRSF techs vice president of engineering. We facturing is ConXCAD software, which
frame system qualied as an alternative to were extremely fortunate to have world integrates the design and manufacturing
the Steel Special Moment Resisting frame class experts peer review the system and process by immediately reecting dimen-
system contained in the 1997 Uniform serve as a seismic advisory committee. sional modications on the architects
Building Code and also is pre-qualied for desktop in the manufacturing output
use as a fully restrained, Special Moment Manufacturing the System without the need for manual data re-entry
Resistant Framing connection in accor- All ConXtech components and assem- or updating shop drawings. ConXCAD
ConX Components
In addition to the ConXframe com-
posed of columns, beams, and connec-
tors, the ConXtech solution is based