Growing Power Vertical Farm

247 Pages·2015·51.83 MB·English

by  Michalski, William John

Growing Power
Vertical Farm
A Major Qualifying Project

submitted to the Faculty of
WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Science
by

Jose Andrade
Austin Holliday
William Michalski
Juan Hernan Parra
Veronica Rivero Gorrin

Date:
8 March 2015

Report Submitted to:

Advisors:
Professors Leonard Albano
Leffi Cewe-Malloy
Kenneth Elovitz
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

This report represents work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of a

degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its web site without editorial or peer
review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, see
http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Projects.
Abstract

This project is part of the 2015 Architectural Engineering Institute Student
Competition. The team was challenged to propose a new design for a 5-story vertical farm
located at 5500 W. Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The team focused on the
architectural, structural and building systems integration design, in addition to a complete
project management plan. Through sustainable and innovative solutions, the team provided an
integrative, cost efficient and energy saving design for the urban commercial farm.

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Acknowledgements

Our team would like to thank key individuals for their help and support throughout the
duration of our project. Without the guidance and continued support we would not have
achieved the level of success that we had. We would like to thank Professors Leonard Albano,
Leffi Cewe-Malloy, and Kenneth Elovitz, who were invaluable to our project. They were always
able to provide insight to our project and their hard work, encouragement and time commitment
were unparalleled.
We would like to thank the Architectural Engineering Institute for hosting this Student
Competition and for allowing us this great opportunity to test our skills and further explore the
various fields that the competition offered. We would also like to thank Growing Power Inc. for
the opportunity to create an alternative design for their vertical farm facility.
In addition, we would also like to express our gratitude towards other WPI community members
who took the time to assist us with our project and answer our questions. We appreciate
Professor Milosh Puchovsky’s assistance with the fire protection and building code questions.
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We also want to thank Maria Del Lourdes Gómez and Sergio Alvarez for their constant assistance
with and modeling.

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Capstone Design Statement
This Major Qualifying Project demonstrates the application of academic coursework to
realistic engineering practices. The use of engineering theory and practice was a key factor in the
development of this project. The capstone design requirement of the MQP was met through the
proposal of an alternate design of the Green Power Vertical Farm located at 5500 W. Silver Spring
Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The new design focuses on the architectural, structural, and
building systems integration of the facility along with a construction project management plan.
The main goal of the project was to achieve a sustainable, innovative and cost beneficial solution
for this building. Throughout the design process realistic constraints were considered in various
aspects of the project, including economics, constructability, social impact, environmental and
sEucsotnaoinmabicil ity, and safety and politics. These considerations are described in greater detail below.

Two major economic considerations were taken into the account of this project. First, the
team’s conceptual estimate and design development estimate provided a detailed budget for the
completion of the project. This estimation process applied value engineering in order to select
the materials and building components that would perform according to the needs of the project
and, at the same time, lower the overall initi al cost. Second, the Life Cycle Cost analysis of the
interior lighting fixtures allowed quantification of the reduction in energy consumption and the
Csaovninstgrsu ocft uabtiililtiyty c osts over a 25 year period.
The site for the vertical farm is located in a suburban residential area; therefore the
project management plan was directed at minimizing the effects of a construction project on the
surroundings. The development of the site plan layout allocated spaces to different purposes in
the building and reduced the interference between activities that will take place on site. Also, the
team opted for a Design Build project delivery method contract because it will accelerate the
project design and construction phases. Another measurement taken in order to reduce the
project duration was the selection of pre-cast panels for the building enclosure that decreases
the inst allation time. In addition, the construction schedule takes into consideration the increase
o f working crews to reduce construction time for enclosing the building before the winter
sSeoacsioanl .Impact
A primary project guideline and goal set by the group was to abide by and create a design
that exemplified the vision of Growing Power Inc. Growing Power as an organization has the
primary goal of providing sustainable, healthy, high quality and affordable food to people of all
communities. The organization also hopes to teach the everyday person the appropriate
methods of growing this food on their own. The vertical farm itself is designed to be a community
center, for people to buy this sustainable food grown on site, take classes to learn more about
the process of growing this food, and provide space to host large scale community events. This
vertical farm is completely open to the community it serves to do with as they wish . Beyond the
immediate Milwaukee community, this vertical farm hopes to be an exemplar for other farms to
be built and service various communities around the country in the years to come.
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Environmental and Sustainability
The new design for Growing Power Inc. vertical farm incorporates environmental and
sustainability elements that can qualify towards LEED Silver accreditation. The design
incorporates a rain catchment system that uses water collection to supply the building demands
for the growing area irrigation. It also provides LED lamps and a HVAC system that are
controlled by areas and reduce the energy consumption of the building. In addition, the design
incorporates a market area with two demonstration aquaponic tanks. This space will support
Growing Power’s mission as it serves as a hub for the community to learn about sustainable food
production.
Safety and Political
The safety and political considerations were comprised throughout several aspect of the
project. One of them was safety during construction. Through the site plan developed, the effects
of the construction project on the surroundings were minimized by placing chain link fences
around the perimeter of the property during the construction phase. The pIlnatne ranlsaot isoenpaal rBatueildd tinhge
cCoondsetruction area from the eMxiilswtianugk beeu iCldoimngmse racnidal aBdujialcdeinngt Cdowdeel l2in0g1,1 a Enddi tiinocnluded 4 gates
allowing regulated a ccess to all areas in the property. In addition, the
® 2012 Editionand the were applied
during the design. This providedA tShCeE r 7eq-1u0ired means of egress, the type of construction, the
building’s allowable height and area, and the need of an automatic sprinkler system. Specifie d
by these aforementioned codes, was utilized for a majority of structural analysis.
Strength, stiffness, and stability were three main criteria checked when designing the facility.

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Licensure Statement

Professional licensure, which was first made a law in 1907 for Wyoming, is a measure to
protect the public health, safety, and welfare. Prior to this first measure, engineers could work
without proof of competency. Currently, every state regulates engineering practices by allowing
only PE’s the authority to “sign and seal engineering plans and offer their services to the public”
(NSPE). It is often referred to as the “seal” or “stamp” and signifies possessing the credentials
that can earn the trust of a client.
To obtain a PE seal, engineers first need to prove their competency through several steps.
Listed below are steps toward this licensure according to the National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE):
-Earn a four-year degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program
-Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
-Complete four years of progressive engineering experience under a PE
-Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam
As mentioned, the professional engineer assigned to a project is responsible for the
public’s health, safety, and welfare. Beneficial to the engineer, only a professional engineer may
prepare, sign, seal and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval,
or to seal engineering work for public and private clients. State governments and an increasing
number of universities are requiring engineers and professors to have a PE to teach the practice.
Distinguishing oneself is the ultimate achievement of a PE. With this distinction comes
responsibility and the PE is ultimately responsible for all effects their work has on the public,
incurring a strict obedience to ethical standards. Consulting, creating one’s own company, and
serving the public directly are all benefits that becoming licensed create.
This MQP is directly related to professional practice. Architectural drawings and their
coordination with the structural systems is an important procedure in professional practice.
This MQP consisted of both architectural and structural teams, who through integration,
produced a facility at a near professional level. For a project like this one, a professional engineer
would be required to approve and stamp the structural drawings before distribution.

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Principle Responsibilities
The group’s project comprised the architectural, structural and integrative components
of the vertical farm design. Throughout the structural focus of the project, all team members
were involved in the design of the structure and integration with the architectural features and
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other systems in the building. Background research of systems and materials was performed by
all members of this team. Also, the modeling and the production of drawings were
cooperatively carried out. In addition, the primary responsibilities or contributions were broken
down based on each of the team members’ strengths, interests, and experience.

Veronica Rivero Gorrin, an Architectural Engineering major with a concentration in
structural systems, contributed primarily towards the electrical and plumbing analysis and
calculations of the systems, including the lighting design. She was also primarily responsible for
the glazing system selection and ensuring the design adhered to the relevant codes and
regulations. Austin Holliday, an Architectural Engineering major with a concentration in
structural systems, contributed primarily to the design of the building’s mechanical systems for
the growing and non-growing areas. He was also responsible for the building envelope and
helped significantly with the design of the architectural floor plan layouts. Juan Parra, a Civil
Engineering major with concentration construction project management, was primarily
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responsible for the development of the project’s project management plan. His work focused in
the creation of the project’s site plan layout, cost estimates, schedule, and 4D
construction simulation. Also, he was responsible for the selection and integration of the
greenhouse systems. William Michalski, a Civil Engineering major with a structural
concentration, was the primary designer of gravity framing, performing load calculations and
structural analysis. He was also responsible for adhering structural work to codes and
regulations. Jose Andrade, a Civil Engineering major with a structural concentration, was the

primary designer of the greenhouse structures. He also maintained integration of these
structures with the architectural requirements.

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Executive Summary
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) organizes an annual Architectural
Engineering Student Competition, in which students are challenged to create an integrated and
innovative design for different types of buildings. The 2015 competition addressed the design of
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a 50,000ft vertical farm building located in Milwaukee. The competition provided five focus
areas, to which the team chose two: the building systems integration and the structural systems.
The building was designed for Growing Power Inc., a national nonprofit organization
dedicated to the growing, processing, and marketing of healthy, high quality foods for
communities across the country. The entity’s main goal for this building was to create a space
Impact
that would inspire the community to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and
ecologically sound. Therefore, the MQP team found to be a suitable name to represent the

project and the design team. The name embodies the effect that the learning experience of this
urban farm will provide to the community.
Impact
’s multidisciplinary team was composed of two Architectural Engineers, two Civil
Engineers with structural design concentrations, and one Civil Engineer with a construction
project management concentration. Each member contributed with their knowledge and
Impact
different background skills to develop the design. To efficiently address the challenge presented

by Growing Power Inc., determined its project goals:


Design a vertical farm building that meets the vision of Growing Power Inc.

Develop innovative and original solutions that incorporate environmentally-friendly and

efficient features into the design.

Provide a cost efficient system that can be easily adapted to different locations in the

United States, such as Miami.

Present a solution that integrates all of the building’s systems into a fully functional

vertical farm and greenhouse space.
Optimize all major high performance attributes of the building including energy

conservation, safety, structural and material durability, accessibility, cost efficiency,
growing productivity, sustainability, functionality, and operability.
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In order to fulfill these goals, the team designed a five story building and basement
consisting of approximately 51,000 total square feet, and a footprint of approximately 70 feet by
150 feet. The architectural design is
characterized by three exterior inclined
columns that reach to the third floor. In
addition, it provides an ascending step back
structure that exposes each of the growing
areas to direct sunlight. The structural
system was a traditional steel gravity frame
structure with CMU shear walls and steel
truss frame lateral systems. The column
layout limited interior columns to

compliment the architectural usage
requirements.
Impact
In addition, through the integration of the fire protection, building envelope, mechanical,

electrical, plumbing and structural systems, developed a series of selections. The main
features of the design are provided below:
 larger
growing area
A design that provides a 567 ft2
condensed into just the
 community
three top levels
learning hub
A market area serving as a
through the display of two
 decrease of the basement area
aquaponic demonstration tanks.
A to
create a slab on grade that would support
the large weight of the aquaponic
 occupant capacity
demonstration tanks.
An increase of the
second floor assembly area from 463 to
 precast panel
600 occupants.
A system that improves the project’s constructability and adaptability to
 building envelope
other sites
A system composed of precast panels and double pane low-e glazing
that minimizes the heating and cooling load.
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 water source heat pump
A self-sufficient that supplies both heating and cooling to the
 LED lighting
different building zones.
 regenerative elevator
A design that reduces lighting energy consumption by 45%.
A that saves one third of the electric consumption produced by
 greenhouse system
commonly used elevator.
A composed
of vertical and rotating growing
towers that allow more plants to be
grown in a smaller area, increasing
 lighting control
the yield of saleable product.
A system that
provides the amount of artificial
light required for each specific crop
 site plan layout
type.
A that minimizes
the effect of the construction project on the surroundings and the interference between
 4D virtual construction simulation
activities that will take place on site
A that incorporates the schedule into a 3D model
 cost estimate and construction schedule
of the project.
A detailed that account for all the work
 open-web steel truss
required to complete the project.
joists
A series of
to open the market area
 stainless steel HSS framing
atrium space.
system
A
for the greenhouses which
serve as dual-functioning
structural members and glazing

framing.
cantilevers
A structural design utilizing
to further eliminate
columns from the floorplan.
Impact’s
Throughout the achievement of goals, the MQP vertical farm design exemplifies
the beliefs of Growing Power Inc. creating a high performance community center to teach and
grow sustainable food systems. By taking a comprehensive approach by using Building
Information Modelling (BIM), which included multiple software applications to maintain
integrative collaboration and communication between disciplines, we were able to design a new
building that is not only architecturally pleasing and structurally stable but maintains the
purpose and mission of Growing Power. 9