Project overview
This project is a steel pergola at the roof level of a private villa in Nad Al Hamar, Dubai. Wrenze Steel carried out the structural design for Dubai International Contracting Company L.L.C, who acted as client and consultant.
The render on this page shows the villa at dusk. The pergola is the curved white canopy at the top of the house, with open slats that shade the upper terrace and flow into the curved fins on the front elevation.
Our scope
Our scope was the structural design of the pergola steelwork:
- working to the architectural form, so the steel follows the curves of the canopy;
- setting the loads, including self-weight, finishes and wind, with uplift on the open roof;
- sizing the members and the fixings into the villa’s concrete structure;
- detailing how the steel sits inside the cladding so it stays hidden in the finished canopy.
The structure
A pergola looks light, but at roof level it is one of the most exposed parts of a house. Wind can push down on it or lift it, and a canopy that overhangs the facade acts as a cantilever, with the largest forces at its support. Those forces have to pass safely into the roof slab, beams or columns below.
The connection to concrete is usually the critical detail. Steel can be fixed to cast-in plates placed when the slab is poured, or to anchors drilled into finished concrete. Either way, the anchor design must suit the edge distance and thickness of the concrete, and the waterproofing on the roof must be kept intact around each fixing.
Curved shapes add work. Curved members can be rolled or made from short straight pieces, and the choice affects cost, appearance and the cladding fit. Outdoor steel in Dubai also needs a corrosion protection system suited to heat, humidity and coastal air.
Read about our structural steel design service, see our work across Dubai, or request a quote for your villa pergola or canopy.
