Inhabited «Bridge»

The Inhabited Complex Versis, erecting in the avenue Nahimovsky, is unique not only thanks to its architecture (see details Dream sails. Tall Buildings. 2011. № 1. P. 64-67). The general designer of the working documentation is “Firma ISTOKStroy”, Ltd. Building constructions, designed by the company, is not less interesting or unique.

Two towers with complex geometry (the single-sectional of 28 floors and the two-sectional of 26 floors) are joined by three rows of inhabited two-storied gallery with winter gardens situated on roofs. The most unusual inhabited complex, perhaps, from all complexes under construction in Moscow, has such appearance and named the Inhabited Complex Versis. The spatial decision was dictated by conditions of the building site which has a subterranean manifold in its centre.

Such decisions are very rarely made not only in Russia. Something like that was built, for example, in Holland, but more often galleries are designed as passages between buildings. No wonder that in the design documentation, on the base of which the company “Firma ISTOKStroy” has to design a working project, a gallery construction was made similar to the bridge. It was proposed to use five welded metal beams as the foundation for the skeleton which were hingedly supported by bearing walls.

By turn, a lightweight metal frame structure of inhabited buildings was mounted on them. To compensate temperature and other deformations, slide blocks were made under one of beam bearings. That is all construction obtained an opportunity to move horizontally. Such approach is suitable for the bridge design, but it is dubious for inhabited spaces. It is doubtful that it is comfortable to live in flats which can start to move suddenly. And an entrance in the inhabited gallery had an appearance like a wagon tambour.

Another problem appeared. Having an inhabited gallery length of 42.9 m and a support beams height of 2.88 m, the weight of every beam exceeded 46 tons. It was necessary to use special erecting mechanisms for mounting such beams at a height of 70 m, and it increased the price considerably.

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Text Andrey Bezrukov, Dr. of Tech. Sciences, IAEMNPS Academician, “Firma ISTOKStroy”, Ltd.