Diagrids are load-bearing structures made of steel diagonal grids. They were first used in the great buildings of the turn of the millennium, such as the Swiss Re Tower in London ("The Gherkin") and the Hearst Magazine Tower in New York City. Dagrids owe their ensuing popularity not only to their stunning aesthetic value, but also to their very tangible benefits: lateral loading capacity, a massive saving of material, a significant gain in open, usable floor area, and increased flexibility in accommodating geometries.

Foreword; preface; timeline; chapter 1: a collaborative process; what is a diagrid?; from shukhov to foster; the importance of collaboration; the role of building information modeling; why choose a diagrid?; diagrid decisions, step by step; chapter 2: evolution o f diagrid framing s yste ms; birth of the diagrid in russian constructivism; the impact of the modern movement; geodesic domes and spaceframes; the emergence of the diagonalized core typology; a first diagrid-supported office building; the formation of the contemporary diagrid structure; a time of structural choice.

CHAPTER 3: PRINCIPLES OF THE CONTEMPORARY DIAGRID ST RUCTURECONCEPT AND DEFINITION; EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF DIAGRID SYSTEMS; MATERIAL CHOICES; STRUCTURAL BENEFITS; THE FIRST CONTEMPORARY DIAGRID BUILDINGS; Project Profile: London City Hall, London, England; Project Profile: Swiss Re Tower, London, England; Project Profile: Hearst Magazine Tower, New York City, USA; CHAPTER 4: TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS; DESIGNING FOR PERFORMANCE; WIND TESTING; SEISMIC DESIGN; FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS; Occupant Safety; Spray-applied Fire Protection; Concrete-filled Steel Tubes; Intumescent Coatings.

CHAPTER 5 MODULES AND MODULARITYISSUES OF SCALE AND SHAPE; STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE CRITERIA; MODULE SELECTION CRITERIA; OPTIMIZING THE MODULE FOR STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF TALL BUILDINGS; BRACING OF THE DIAGONAL MEMBERS; MODULES AND CORNER CONDITIONS; IMPACT OF THE MODULE ON THE NODE; SIZES OF MODULES FOR BUILDINGS OF DIFFERENT SHAPE AND HEIGHT; Small Modules: Two to Four Storeys; Midrange Modules: Six to Eight Storeys; Large Modules: 10+ Storeys; Irregular Modules; CHAPTER 6: NO DE AND MEMBER DES IGN; WHAT IS A NODE?; MATERIAL CHOICES.

THE PRECEDENTS FOR NODE DESIGN: SWISS RE TOWER AND HEARST MAGAZINE TOWERTHE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE ON NODE AND MEMBER DESIGN; Concealed Systems; Architecturally Exposed Systems; NODE ADAPTATIONS FOR CONCEALED SYSTEMS; NODE ADAPTATIONS FOR ARCHITECTURALLY EXPOSED SYSTEMS; CHAPTER 7: CORE DES IGN; MATERIAL TRENDS IN TALL BUILDING DESIGN; THE IMPACT OF 9/11 ON CORE DESIGN; THE FUNCTION OF THE CORE IN A DIAGRID BUILDING; STEEL-FRAMED CORES; REINFORCED CONCRETE CORES; CHAPTER 8: CONST RUCTABILITY; SAFETY ISSUES; ARCHITECTURALLY EXPOSED VERSUS CONCEALED STEEL.

ECONOMY THROUGH PREFABRICATION AND REPETITIONIMPACT OF NODE AND MODULE CHOICES ON ERECTION; TRANSPORTATION ISSUES; SITE ISSUES; MAINTAINING STABILITY DURING ERECTION; CHAPTER 9: FAÇADE DES IGN; CURTAIN WALL AND FAÇADE DESIGN; TRIANGULAR GLAZING; RECTILINEAR GLAZING; CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE; CHAPTER 10: EXTE RIOR DIAGRIDS AND DOUBLE FAÇADE SYSTEMS; EXTERIOR DIAGRIDS; One Shelley Street, Sydney, Australia; Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China; O-14, Dubai, UAE; DOUBLE FAÇADE APPLICATIONS; The Leadenhall Building, London, England; Doha Tower, Doha, Qatar; Al Bahar Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Includes bibliographical references (page 178) and index.