Baháʼí Temple of South America, Chile
Customer Project
An extraordinary structure was built in Chile: the "Temple of Light". It is one of eight Bahá'í temples worldwide. The monotheistic Bahá'í religion has about seven million followers, mainly in India, Iran, Africa, and North and South America. It took many decades to plan the temple.
| Structural Engineering |
Structural Analysis, Construction, and Execution (Steel and Roofing) Josef Gartner GmbH, Würzburg, Germany josef-gartner.permasteelisagroup.com |
| Architect |
Hariri Pontarini Architects Toronto, Canada www.hariripontarini.com |
| Investor |
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada www.bahai.ca |
Model
Josef Gartner GmbH, a German customer of Dlubal Software, was given the job of planning, design, and construction of the entire structure above the foundation.
Structure
The shape of the temple resembles a nine‑petaled blossom of a lotus flower. The building has a diameter of about 111.5 ft and a height of 98.4 ft. The substructure consists of a two-story concrete structure and a flat footing.
As the site is placed in a Chilean region with a high seismic risk, it was necessary to uncouple the structure horizontally from the ground with regard to vibrations. That is why a total of ten friction pendulum bearings were arranged between the concrete columns and the second intermediate ceiling.
The steel supporting structure is a kind of space frame with an upper and lower chord layer consisting of rectangular cross‑sections as well as round pipe diagonals serving as connecting elements.
The nine petals, which are identical in construction, close with their leaf apices at the maximum point, forming a light dome (oculus). The structural skeleton is formed, as with real plant petals, by an interior framework consisting of round pipes with thicker section walls of d = 12.7 in.
First, the building was modeled using the Rhinoceros design software. Then, the complete 3D model was transferred to RFEM and RSTAB and optimized in close cooperation with the architect.
Finally, Gartner calculated the steel structure in RFEM and RSTAB considering the impact of earthquakes.
Write Comment...
Write Comment...
Contact Us
Do you have any further questions or need advice? Contact us via phone, email, chat or forum or search the FAQ page, available 24/7.
New
Practical Applications using Python and RFEM 6 | 2D Truss Generator
This article looks at a practical use-case of programming a 2D Truss Generator GUI with Python.
-
I received an error message “Surface of incompatible type... (Surface in upper plane of building story must be of ‘Load transfer’ type)” when running the calculation. What is the reason?
- My beam has a continuous lateral support and therefore lateral torsional buckling (LTB) is not a concern. How do I define the effective length?
- How can I efficiently define line hinges on several surfaces?
- How do I include the overstrength factor(s), Ωo in the ASCE 7 load combinations?
- How do I include the overstrength factor(s) Ωo in the ASCE 7 load combinations?
-
My live load is less than or equal to 100 psf. How do I consider the reduced load factor in the ASCE 7 load combinations?
- How do I include the redundancy factor(s), ρ in the ASCE 7 load combinations?
Programs Used for Structural Analysis
RSTAB 8
Main Program
Structural engineering software for designing frame, beam, and truss structures, as well as performing linear and nonlinear calculations of internal forces, deformations, and support reactions
Price of First License
2,850.00 EURRFEM 5
Main Program
Structural engineering software for finite element analysis (FEA) of planar and spatial structural systems consisting of plates, walls, shells, members (beams), solids, and contact elements
Price of First License
3,950.00 EURRSTAB 8
Add-on Module
Analysis of Natural Vibrations
Price of First License
950.00 EURRSTAB 8
Add-on Module
Seismic and static load analysis using the multi-modal response spectrum analysis
Price of First License
650.00 EUR
Social Networks
Frequently Visited Pages
- My beam has a continuous lateral support and therefore lateral torsional buckling (LTB) is not a concern. How do I define the effective length?
