Contents • Introduction • Site Analysis • Structural Composition • Beam Calculations • Load Tracking • Material Selection • Conclusion Introduction This report will examine the structural composition of the commercial building on which we are working as part of the Studio 2 module. The building consists of a basement used for parking and 5 upper floors consisting of a cafeteria and open space offices. This report investigates firstly the site on which the building is located, secondly, the structural composition of the building, thirdly the load routing and finally, the materials used along with the reasons for choosing them. Site Analysis The proposed commercial building will be located on a site at 45 Dominick Street, Shandon, Cork City. Site investigation results indicate that the water table is high. The site itself is 0.3 acre with adjacent buildings on 3 out of 4 sides. The main entrance to the site is through the southern boundary which leads to Dominick Street, a narrow public street measuring 4.5m wide at its point narrower. The northern boundary has a second entrance with a 6.3 m wide passage leading to Church Street, which is a wider street (9 m at the site entrance). This second entrance could be used as an access point for large machinery and for the delivery of materials and equipment to the site. Structural composition The basement is excavated using permanent embedded retaining walls formed using concrete secant piles around the perimeter and excavating the soil in between. The secant piles remain a structural component of the building. The basement floor slab is cast in situ with integrated foundations to support the cast-in-situ columns which support the ground floor slab which is also cast in situ...... middle of paper ..... .it is possible with steel more than other methods.7. Long-term preservation of strength properties8. It doesn't burn9. It is not vulnerable to insect or fungal attacks. Conclusion The structure of this building was designed with a number of criteria in mind. First, the client would need rapid construction to generate income. This resulted in the use of structural steel for the majority of the building above grade. The existence of an underground car park resulted in the use of concrete as part of the structural composition of the building. Concrete was also used structurally in the cores and slabs for its fire resistance and tensile and compressive strength. In conclusion, the combination of both materials in this project was deemed appropriate as the aim was to utilize the advantages of both steel and concrete in the building design.