Arup Journal 1-2009 Beijing Stadium
Arup Journal 1-2009 Beijing Stadium
Arup Journal 1-2009 Beijing Stadium
1/2009
Contents
4 5
Introduction Stephen Burrows Competition, team, and site Tony Choi Michael Kwok Sports architecture
24 28
Seismic design of the roof Xiaonian Duan Goman Ho The retractable roof design John Lyle The bowl
38 40 41 44
Thermal comfort in the Stadium Rumin Yin Fire engineering concepts Mingchun Luo Building services design Lewis Shiu The lighting concept design Jeff Shaw Rogier van der Heide Construction and conclusion
32 34
Layout and analysis model Tony Choi Thomas Lam Seismic design of the bowl Xiaonian Duan Goman Ho Specialist engineering design
16
The Stadium geometry Stephen Burrows Martin Simpson Analysis model and results Kylie Lam Thomas Lam
36
20
Roof cladding and acoustic ceiling Tony Choi Wind conditions in the Stadium and external plaza Alex To
48 49 50
Completing the programme Tony Choi Michael Kwok Constructing a stadium Credits
37
Introduction
Stephen Burrows
In January 2003, alongside 13 competitor firms from all over the world, Arup began work on the design competition for the Beijing National Stadium. In writing this introduction to The Arup Journal feature on this great project, I looked back to the first meeting notes from 10 January 2003, when J Parrish and I met with the architects Herzog & de Meuron at their office in Basle, Switzerland. These struck a chord with me as I recalled how we interpreted the brief and how it would influence our design. To quote these notes: Bowl shape design will be carried out essentially by ArupSport throughout the competition works, HdeM will incorporate these and co-ordinate with other areas of building. It is perhaps possible for the running track to be completely covered by the roof, ArupSport to check with IOC. The track cannot however be only partly covered as this will induce uneven conditions on different lanes.
Top mat
Cantilever structures for the roof will be virtually impossible to build for spans of approximately 60m with the additional loading of the removable roof. These principles, agreed at the beginning, were important first steps in our design and set in place firm foundations for what followed. The very first sketch of the roof emerged some weeks later (Fig 2): this was our starting point for the Birds Nest design. The competition was won in April 2003 and so began the process of delivering one of the worlds greatest buildings. But the e-mail trail doesnt tell the whole story. In Basle we worked days and nights to find a cultural clue to the design that would win such a competition. The modelbuilding went on day and night too. We had fun, we still tell the stories, and we utilised Arups power wherever the skills lay to put the best people onto the project. My recollection of the entire process, from the initial idea of a consortium to the integrated working of teams from Herzog & de Meuron, CADG (China Architectural Design & Research Group, the Local Design Institute partner) and ArupSport, was one of a smooth and harmonious development. We had a single aim to win and we focused on how to achieve that. So it didnt matter that ArupSport determined the functional geometry, our ideas for the roof carried weight alongside those of others, we agonised over the scale of the spans and the scale of the project, we constantly had a better idea (and some were actually quite good, though many were not), and arguments were few, and dinners were lively affairs. I remember, when we won, Michael Kwok calling me Steve, we won! and for a moment I had to think what he meant. Then the reality hit home, the calls began, and the opportunity to shape a piece of history grew to enormity. For Arup the schematic design stage was carried out in Europe. Manchester and London were the core offices, and many people played their part. We have tried to credit everyone who made a significant contribution (see p50) but some have moved on to pastures new. However, all of us have a shared experience; all of us will have watched the 2008 Olympic Games with a sense of shared pride, wherever we were; all of us know our contribution to the project and its important contribution to Arups goal to shape a better world. This is no overstatement. The Olympic Games is a global event, the decision to hold it in China was a pivotal political moment, and the Stadium will long remain a symbol of that decision, an important part of an important moment in history and a symbol of the power of positive thought and action by the Peoples Republic of China. I am proud of what we achieved, and I am also in awe of the skill and dedication of our staff, of the ease with which Arup worked across geographic boundaries, of the incredible performances of our collaborators, and not least of the builder of this wonderful piece of engineering architecture. As we say in the North of England, twas a bloody great effort!
Airport
Olympics Village
Fencing Hall
National Stadium
Sports architecture
Introduction At the time the architectural competition for the Beijing National Stadium was announced, Herzog & de Meuron and ArupSport (Arups multidisciplinary practice specialising in sports architecture) were already working together on the Allianz Arena in Munich1. This successful creative partnership was based on a shared desire to innovate: Herzog & de Meuron in creating unique buildings with strong local cultural resonances, and Arup in designing stadiums that perform ever better for spectators, athletes, and operators. As already noted, for the Beijing competition the two practices joined forces with one of the leading Chinese Design Institutes, CADG. Within this integrated team, the architects at ArupSport were responsible in particular for the bowl, the concourses, and the spectator facilities, which together defined the form of the Stadium. They also produced an initial optimised structural proposal for the roof and envelope, which Herzog & de Meuron then developed. CADG provided vital local expertise during the competition and scheme design, and then took the baton for the final stages of the project, liaising with the local authorities, producing construction information and monitoring the works on site. Backed by Arups engineering expertise, the competition team was able to submit a highly developed, fully realisable architectural concept. As a result, despite some significant changes to the brief, the form of the built Stadium is very close to the original winning design.
2.
I was delighted that the competition areas did everything that was set out for them to do. The path from drop-off for athletes to the warm-up area, with access to the Technical Information Centre for Team staff along the route; the fact that there were separate corridors to make sure that athletes making their way from the Call Room to the track could do so securely and without being disturbed by other athletes or coaches, without minimising space for others preparing themselves, and the space provided for athletes and staff to move around, made it the ideal stadium for the Paralympics Games. The fact that all of these spaces were absolutely accessible for athletes and staff using wheelchairs made it a delight to use. Added to this, the fact that spectator areas provided enough good access for those using wheelchairs was superb.
Chris Cohen: Chairman of IPC Athletics.
The brief called for a landmark building that would be the main venue for track and field events during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with a subsequent working life of 100 years. After the Games, it would become an important venue for both athletics and soccer. The Stadium was to have a capacity of 100 000 during the Games, and 80 000 seats in legacy mode. (The client subsequently decided to reduce the Olympic capacity to 91 000.) There was no defined legacy business plan, and so the design team tried to make the Stadium as flexible and adaptable as possible. There is potential, for example, to add a hotel for box holders within the main envelope. Originally the Stadium was to have a retractable roof (Fig 1). This was particularly challenging in structural terms as the building also had to have the resilience to withstand a major earthquake. Late in the programme, the client omitted this requirement from the brief as part of the general review of the Olympic venues, before work started on site.
The bowl The architects ambition was to create not only an instantly recognisable symbol of Chinas cultural, sporting, and economic renaissance, but also the most exciting stadium in Olympic history. Every Games has its own thrilling I was there moments, when athletes perform miracles and new records are set. The team wanted to create a stadium that would harness and amplify this excitement in the way the worlds best-loved soccer venues do. Like most modern stadia, the Birds Nest was designed inside out, beginning with the bowl the competitive field and the seating stands around it (Fig 4). This is because the form of the bowl and the distribution of seating types largely determine all other aspects of a stadium, including the shape and structure of the roof, the levels and locations of the concourses and premium facilities, and the amount of natural light and ventilation reaching the playing area. The team worked closely with the international Olympic and local organising committees to streamline and rationalise the on-field facilities. The result is a more compact bowl with less distance between the spectators and the track. Bowl design involves a skilful balancing of several key criteria. Most importantly, spectators want to be as close as possible to the action and to have a good view of the field, while the stadium developer needs to accommodate a certain number of seats within a defined budget. These requirements often conflict. For example, more space between rows creates better sightlines but draws spectators further away from the field and results in a larger stadium with increased construction costs. Even a tiny adjustment to the configuration of the seats can have a huge impact on the overall design and cost of the building. To find the optimum solution, it is essential to set priorities.
4. Like most modern stadia, the Birds Nest was designed inside out, beginning with the bowl.
5. Parametric design of built version 33. 6. Initial seating capacity of 100 000.
a)
b)
This complex process has been transformed in recent years by parametric relationship modelling. Using powerful computer software, designers can quickly generate the initial form of a stadium within defined parameters such as geometric constraints, environmental factors, and the limitations of construction materials. Having produced the initial concept, the architect can rapidly explore and test options by adjusting variables such as the height of a row of seats. For the National Stadium, ArupSport used its own specialist parametric modelling software to develop a bowl geometry optimised for Olympic athletics that would also work well for soccer in legacy mode. The team produced 33 versions of the design to fine-tune the form of the bowl (Fig 5). The team decided that this landmark Stadium should have the same distinctive external form in both Olympic and legacy modes, and so the temporary additional seating needed to be accommodated within the main envelope. The temporary seats, which are mainly to the rear of the top tier (Fig 6), have the least-favourable views in the Stadium and are located in zones that can be converted to other revenuegenerating uses. Creating a stadium that will be both an athletics and a soccer venue is always a challenge. Athletics fields are bigger than football pitches, which means that spectators in the stands are further away from the action. Consequently, people in the upper tiers may not be able to see the ball on the pitch, and the atmosphere which is so important to a soccer crowd may be seriously diluted. One solution to this problem is to add a moveable lower seating tier for soccer matches, but the brief for the National Stadium did not allow for this. Instead, the team opted for a cantilevered middle tier, with the front 15 rows of seating extending over the lower tier (Fig 7). This brings spectators in the middle and upper levels closer to the action and provides a quality of view equivalent to that in a stadium with a moveable tier. The colour of the seats ranges from red in the lower tier to white at the top, helping to make the Stadium look full, even when some places are empty (Fig 8).
9. The continuously-curved form of the seating tiers provides better viewing standards for all spectators .
The team members had to design a stadium that conformed to rigorous local seismic codes, while providing a structure stable enough to support a moving roof. To meet these two key elements of the brief, they decided at an early stage to keep the bowl structurally separate from the faade/roof structure. The bowl consists of six structurally-independent segments with 200mm wide movement joints between them. The continuously-curved form of the seating tiers provides better viewing standards for all spectators with lateral views as well as an enhanced C value (the quality of a spectators view over the row in front) for VIP and premium seats (Fig 9). The elliptical form of the bowl, the depth of its structure, the acoustic reflectivity of its envelope, and a special lining below the ETFE (ethyltetrafluoroethylene) roof membranes, all give the Stadium an outstanding acoustic quality (Fig 10). During the Olympics, many visitors were surprised and delighted by the atmosphere of intense excitement and drama. The faade/roof structure While Arup was working on the bowl, Herzog & de Meuron began gathering ideas for the external form of the Stadium. The team members knew that to win this prestigious architectural competition, they would need to come up with an inimitable design that would reflect both Chinas rich cultural heritage and its 21st century technological prowess. The distinctive roof structure does just that. Its appearance, inspired by local crackle-glazed pottery and veined scholar stones, defies structural logic. It is an amazing display of architectural, engineering and construction innovation. Local people affectionately nicknamed the Stadium the Birds Nest while the initial competition entries were on display in Beijing. The roof structure spans a 313m x 266m space, closely enveloping the bowl and concourses to form both faade and roof. The faade incorporates the Stadiums main staircases. The result is a compact and sinuous external form uninterrupted by masts, arches, or stair cores. While the faade is open, a roof covering made of single-layer ETFE membranes stretched between the steelwork sections protects the spectators from wind and rain (Fig 11).
10. The acoustic reflectivity of its envelope and lining below the roof membranes, all give the Stadium an outstanding acoustic quality.
Level 0
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Levels 6 & 7
Key
Spectator FOP and warm-up field Event manager Broadcast Media Olympic family Sponsors Venue operation Special events Security Urban domain Others Athletes and team staff
The bowl and external form of the Stadium were developed in parallel, with Herzog & de Meuron working on the faade and roof while Arup defined the size of the bowl and proposed an optimised roof structure. The team agreed at an early stage to work with 24 nodes for the primary roof structure support, and Arup very quickly defined the top and bottom roof planes required for the most efficient structure. This provided Herzog & de Meuron with an envelope form that did not change significantly, even in the projects final construction design stage. The seemingly accidental arrangement of steel members that forms the envelope makes it almost impossible to distinguish between the primary structural elements supporting the roof, the secondary staircase structures, and the tertiary elements that add to the random effect. Each of the faades steel members retains a 1.2m wide external profile as it twists and bends to follow the saddle-shaped geometry of the Stadium. The steel structure is painted light grey, contrasting with the red-painted external concrete wall of the bowl, which is clearly visible through the faade. This creates a variety of impressive effects, particularly when lit at night. Conclusion With the lavish opening and closing ceremonies, the thrill of broken records, and the tragedy of shattered dreams, an Olympic Games is nothing if not theatrical. The architectural team wanted the audience to feel part of the Olympic spectacle from the moment of arrival. To enhance the sense of drama, the team decided to leave the faade unclad, allowing the staircases that form part of the roof structure to remain open. Weaving past each other and offering clear views into every passing zone, they ensure visitors have an unusual degree of interaction with the building. The result is arguably one of the worlds most exciting architectural experiences. Importantly, the Stadium is also one of the most comfortable, usable and high-performance sports venues in the world. Arup has received an unprecedented number of glowing testimonials from athletes (both Olympic and Paralympic), spectators, the media, the organisers, and the operators. Everyone loves the Birds Nest.
Reference (1) BURROWS, S, et al. The Allianz Arena: A new football stadium for Munich, Germany. The Arup Journal, 41(1), pp24-31, 1/2006. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Felicity Parsons, independent architectural writer based in London, in preparing this article.
14. The structure, painting, and lighting create an impressive effect, especially at night. 15. The open structure offers clear views both beyond the building and into the zones, ensuring a high degree of interactivity within the Stadium.
1. Optimum seating bowl configuration for Olympic mode. 2. The resulting enclosed volume that would form the roof surface.
3. Beijing crackle glazed pottery: the original inspiration for the Stadium roof.
The geometry for the primary elements forms a relationship between the supporting points at ground level and the size and shape of the opening roof position (Figs 7a-b). Initially, this opening was defined as small as possible to keep the moving roof efficient. When eventually the moving roof was removed from the design, the size of the opening could become much bigger and relate more to the seating bowl. The primary geometry was then developed into a 3-D portalised space truss, enabling the roof to follow closely the architectural form of the bowl and concourse structure, while rising to 60m and spanning the required 313m x 266m (Fig 8). The secondary geometry, subdividing the primary elements, was only located in the outer layer of the faade. This geometry was related back to the primary roof grid on plan, but then adjusted using the centre point to create a rotated plane instead of a vertical plane (Fig 9). This plane was then struck through the outer surface to create the actual secondary geometry used to define the centre lines of the elements. The final elements contributing to the overall geometry formed the perimeter stairs (Fig 10). These elements were defined initially by the requirements of the stairs in terms of number of risers before a balcony, length of balcony, and the overall pitch. The definition lines were then allowed to become continuous and run over the roof surface to join the faade on the opposite side. Though some scripting was required to create the initial geometry, the final geometry required much manual intervention in moving elements and tweaking the angles. In many ways the project is sculptural, and achieving the final effect relied on a very close working relationship between engineer and architect.
6. (a) Elliptical plan of bowl; (b) sloping sides; (c) roof formed from a toroid patch; (d) part of torus surface. a)
b)
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d) 9. Definition of the secondary geometry. 10. (a) & (b) Stair element geometry.
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d) a)
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C Outside Inside C
A C
Twisted elements Of all the geometrical conditions within the Stadium, perhaps the most challenging from the fabrication viewpoint was the requirement to use a continuous box-profile over the whole faade. This box section was defined using a control surface that was part of the structure envelope. The outer flange of the box always remains parallel to the control surface, resulting in a twisting, curving box section that changes as the element progresses along the surface of the structure. This twisting form is most pronounced at the eaves of the structure for the low-angle elements such as the stair lines (Fig 11). Luckily these are usually very lightly loaded. The way the geometry was defined resulted in even the most twisted element being formed from developable surfaces. This meant that the individual surfaces forming the box sections could be flattened out and cut from a flat steel plate and then rolled to form the fabricated box section (Fig 12). This investigation was crucial to proving that, though complex, the structure could actually be built. Use of virtual prototyping The use of CAD software was critical to success of the National Stadium, and the platform adopted was CATIA by Dassault Systme. It is used extensively in the automotive and aerospace industries, and at the time was the only software that could handle the complex surfaces and geometry requirements of the elements.
a)
b) 13. Stadium models in CATIA, showing the roof (a) closed, and (b) open.
CATIAs ability to deal with a vast number of components allowed the whole Stadium to be assembled in a single environment (Fig 13). The model contained all the structural elements, including the perimeter stairs, and the interactions between all the components were also managed in the same environment. This approach is called virtual prototyping4 as all elements can be assembled and tested in a virtual environment before commitment to building the physical reality. CATIA is a parametric component-based modelling package. The advantage of using parametric software is significant when dealing with design that is required to be adjustable and continually changing like the Stadium. The basic premise is that instead of assigning rigid values to geometry such as length, angle, depth, etc, these can be assigned parameters that can be adjusted later. Because the software is also associative, relationships can be set between geometries that allow changes in parameters to be propagated through the model and downstream implications of changes assessed. A simple example is the geometry of the stair line, which was controlled by an angle at the level 5 landing. This angle changed the geometry of the stair so that all the treads and landing could be hidden behind the supporting structure. However, though the stairs terminated at the top level, they formed part of a continuous line that was from five separate parts but maintained tangency between each line (Fig 14). Using a component modelling system also allowed multiple design scenarios to be investigated and then deployed throughout the structure. Even though the controlling geometry was different at each location, with the Stadium only having two-fold rotational symmetry, the details that components shared were generally part of a family. The advanced replication facilities with CATIA allowed these family details to be propagated throughout the model even if the local geometry conditions were different.
14. Tangency was maintained between the five sets of geometry for the stair line by adjusting only one parameter for the angle of the original stair line.
Physical prototypes At each stage of the project, the design team had to satisfy itself and the client that the structure was buildable. Early prototypes were constructed from card, foamboard or 3-D wax printers (Fig 15a). Herzog & de Meuron also built a full-scale foam-board model to illustrate the scale of the elements being considered (Fig 15b). Before the end of the preliminary design, one of the steel fabricators bidding for the project also completed a full-scale mock-up of one the nodes from 40mm steel plate (Fig 16). This exercise showed the whole team that this was a realistic design that could be fabricated in time for the Olympics. Final geometry The original geometry changed late in the design process due to the omission of the moving roof, due to the client needing to reduce the resources and overall cost of the Games. It should be noted that the actual cost of the Stadium itself was comparing well to its original estimate, but the overall budget for the Games had to be cut. However, due to the advanced software technique developed by the team in terms both of geometry and also analysis, design, and optimisation, the project was able to be completed on time with only a small delay in the construction programme.
References (1) CHAN, C, et al. Miller Park. The Arup Journal, 37(1), pp24-33, 1/2002. (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_scholar%27s_rocks (3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei (4) BAILEY, P, et al. The Virtual Building. The Arup Journal, 43(2), pp15-25, 2/2008.
a)
b) 15. (a) Small-scale card prototype; (b) Full-scale foam board prototype. 16. Full-scale steel prototype.
1. Main components of the original roof design: The retractable section (top right); the main steel trusses supporting the roof, the faade and the retractable section (far left); secondary members as bracing elements to the main trusses, forming the Stadium geometry (centre). The complete structural model is at the bottom right.
2. Column head, showing principal elements. 3. Interface between retractable and fixed roofs, and modelling of the support points restraint.
Retractable roof
Table 1. Limiting element utilisation ratio. Element type Primary structure: columns Primary structure: main truss Secondaries Static 80% 80% 90% Seismic level 1 80% 80% 80% Seismic level 2 90% 90% 100% Seismic level 3 100% for slender section and 110% for others 100% for slender section and 110% for others Not limited: member design assessed by non-linear analysis
Spring element to simulate the support condition Link element to simulate the bogies
A static analysis under various combinations of dead, live, wind, snow, temperature, and seismic loading was carried out. The effects of pattern loading due to snow drifting and the effects of different positions of the retractable roof were evaluated separately. Dynamic analysis established the fundamental frequencies of vibration and mode shapes, and a modal analysis was also undertaken on the full 3-D analysis model. Detailed seismic analyses were also performed to study the structural behaviour under a level 2 earthquake. In addition, the rare level 3 earthquake was studied to ensure that the roof would not collapse under this condition. Member design check criteria and force/capacity utilisation ratio On the roof truss member design, design check criteria and limit of force/capacity utilisation ratios of members were set up for different types of element in terms of their function and importance to the whole structural system (Table 1). Fig 4 shows the members utilisation ratio of the main truss under static load combinations. Redesign of Stadium roof After the first preliminary design submission, the Stadium roof was redesigned to meet the reduced budget. The major changes included removal of the retractable roof and enlargement of the roof opening. Fig 5 shows the roof plan, including the retractable roof, at the early stage, and Fig 6 shows the final stage of the preliminary design. Fig 7 shows the evolution of the arrangement of the main trusses during the roof redesign. It was essential to maintain the Stadiums architectural design principle that secondary members should be indistinguishable in size from primary members. To save costs, however, the sizes of some 1.2m x 1.2m box sections were revised. For example, the cross-section of some top chord truss members, invisible from the plaza level, was reduced to 1.0m square. The faade element section size, however, was kept at 1.2m x 1.2m. Construction stage analyses Staged analyses of the fixed roof were performed in conjunction with the assumed construction sequence. The true reflection of construction sequence to analysis is important for a long-span stadium structure, in which the lock-in stress effect on secondary members is corrected and prevented if the analysis is carried out as a unified whole.
7. Evolution of the roof redesign, from preliminary design structural concept to the unification scheme.
5. Preliminary roof design, March 2004. 6. Preliminary roof design: redesign in November 2004.
a)
b)
The construction stage analyses that reflected the actual erection sequence included 78 installation support points for falsework for the roof structure erection. The key installation sequence is illustrated in Figs 8a-g. Based on the loading stage of the structure, four key construction phases were determined for the static construction stage analysis, as follows: Phase 1: Construct 24 columns, faade secondary structure, ring trusses in the middle, and the primary truss (with temporary support). Phase 2: Remove the temporary support after assembly of primary trusses in sections (completion of the main structure). Phase 3: Construct secondary structure on the top surface and facade stairs. Phase 4: Install the pipelines for cladding structure, catwalks, light fittings, and drainpipes. Finite element analysis at nodes For the curved and twisted members of the roof and the connection nodes where many members merge together, finite element analysis was used to study the stress distribution. Assuming the material is in the elastic stage, the results of the calculations were expressed in the von Mises stress diagram. Based on the analysis results, the member and connection node design were optimised. The issue of stress concentration can be improved by means of local member thickening and adjusting the location of stiffeners. Fig 9 shows the finite element analysis at the elbow truss at the eave. Prototype testing To ensure the safety of the design, prototype tests were carried out as verification. A 1:2.5 scale elbow truss and a twisted thinned wall box section were tested at the Beijing Tsing Hua University (Figs 10, 11), whilst 1:2.5 scale prototypes of the double K-node of primary truss and column top, where many members merge at the node, were tested at the Shanghai Tongjie University (Figs 12, 13).
c)
d)
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f) 8. Key installation sequence for steel structure: (a) Column bases; (b) Columns and faade secondary structure; (c) Primary truss and inner ring truss lifted panel by panel and jointed at high level; (d) Removal of temporary support; (e) Secondary structure of the top surface; (f) Construction of facade stairs; (g) Completion of installation.
g)
Maximum node
Minimum node
Von Mises stress (max (Z1Z2)) > 3.32e+08 < 3.32e+08 < 2.78e+08 < 2.23e+08 < 1.68e+08 < 1.13e+08 < 5.82e+07 < 3.36e+06
10. Twisted thin-walled box secondary member being tested at Beijing Tsing Hua University.
11. A twisted and bent member at a top round corner connecting the top chord truss element and the raking outer column (elbow truss).
13. Column truss connection. 14. Intersection of inner side of spokes members with diamond-shaped inner column.
15.
width-to-thickness ratio (b/t) of 16 (16:1) and to achieve the seismically compact sections required by GB50011-2001, the minimum thickness needed to be approximately 70mm. Such a plate thickness would result in the use of unacceptably large amounts of steel, and lead to very high structural self-weight. This would further increase the gravity load on the structure as well as stiffening it, leading to even higher seismic forces. In addition to being uneconomical, using thicker steel plates would also have been less effective in achieving the collapse prevention performance objective for a level 3 earthquake. From the structural design point of view, an effective and cost-efficient solution to reducing steel tonnage and thereby gravity loads and meet the ductile detailing requirement of b/t 16 would be to substantially reduce the outer dimension of the box section members in both primary and secondary trusses. It would be far easier to achieve seismically compact sections with much thinner plates, but due to the architectural constraints, this option was ruled out in the early stages. The behaviour of box section members with thin walls beyond the elastic limit is governed by their post-buckling behaviour. The Arup team investigated the effectiveness of welding longitudinal stiffeners and transverse diaphragms to the box section walls on improving the ductility capacity of these members. Nonlinear finite element simulations of the postbuckling behaviour of a typical member with a range of stiffener sizes and a range of diaphragm distances showed that, while the stiffeners and diaphragms are effective in postponing local buckling of the walls and thereby increasing member axial compressive
Regional seismicity
Beijing is in an area of moderately high seismicity. The regions most recent destructive event, the 1976 magnitude 7.8 Great Tangshan earthquake, had its epicentre some 150km south-east of Beijing, which suffered severe and widespread structural damage. Official figures indicate that in total some 250 000 died as a result of the earthquake, and in Beijing itself many were forced to live in temporary housing for years after. The Beijing municipality implemented an extensive programme to retrofit surviving buildings, and some of the multi-storey masonry residences strengthened by reinforced concrete frames can still be easily identified in the newly-emerging CBD around Arups Beijing office. The 1990 edition of the Chinese earthquake intensity zonation map1 divides the country into five seismic zones, varying from V (low) to IX (high). Beijing is assigned to intensity zone VIII. According to the 2001 edition of the Chinese seismic ground motion parameter zonation maps2, the peak ground acceleration corresponding to 10% of probability of exceedance in 50 years is 0.2g. The level of probability of exceedance adopted for drawing up these maps is consistent with those in the 1997 edition of the Uniform building code3 in the US and Eurocode 84 in the EU. Compared to the seismic zone map of the USA published in the 1997 UBC, the seismicity of Beijing is equivalent to zone 2B a level lower than that of California and comparable to most parts of Washington, Oregon, and Nevada. Performance objectives required by the Chinese seismic design code for buildings The 1989 edition of the Chinese seismic design code for buildings, GBJ 11-895, established the framework for seismic performance objectives of buildings in China. The following three levels of performance have to be achieved: (1) no structural damage and limiting non-structural damage in small but frequent earthquakes (50-year return period) (2) repairable damage when subjected to an intermediate earthquake (500-year return period) (3) collapse prevention when subjected to a large but rare earthquake (2500-year return period). The intermediate earthquake (level 2) corresponds to ground motion intensity values as shown in the Chinese seismicity zoning maps. The small but frequent earthquake (level 1) is a once-in-a-lifetime event for the design working life of a building. The rare earthquake (level 3) has a very low probability of being exceeded during a buildings design working life. The current Chinese seismic design code, GB50011-20016, further developed this conceptual framework and design/analysis methodology by introducing modern, non-linear response history analysis and non-linear static pushover analysis methods to quantitatively verify satisfaction of the collapse prevention performance requirement under the level 3 earthquake. For buildings within the limitations and scope of applicability of GB50011-2001, a dual-level seismic design approach is prescribed. Both the level 1 and level 3 performance objectives are required to be verified explicitly: strength design and limiting inter-storey drift under the level 1 earthquake, and checking and limiting inter-storey drift and inelastic deformation of members under the level 3 earthquake. In addition, detailing measures for ductility are prescribed for various seismic load-resisting systems in various seismic zones. The acceptable limits on inter-storey drift under the level 1 earthquake are very restrictive, reflecting the intent of GB50011-2001 to limit non-structural damage. For instance, the limits on drift ratios in reinforced concrete moment-resisting frame systems and moment frame/shear wall systems are 1/550 and 1/800, respectively. The restrictive drift limits prescribed in GB50011-2001 often result in stiffer structures compared to similar structures in comparable seismic zones but designed to other codes. The level 2 earthquake performance objective is deemed to have been achieved by GB50011 - 2001 if the design has satisfied the level 1 and level 3 performance requirements and those for ductile detailing.
strength, their effect on improving post-buckling ductility is negligible, because the stiffeners themselves buckle in the post-buckling range of response (Fig 2). This set of nonlinear finite element simulation results convinced the Arup team early in the project to abandon the option of seeking ductility so as to meet code prescriptive rule, and instead to adopt an alternative seismic design methodology. The Arup solution: performance-based seismic design Having examined several options, the Arup team adopted the performance-based seismic design and analysis approach for the roof structure. This is not only the most technically rigorous, but also leads to the most cost-efficient design. To achieve the collapse prevention performance objective for a level 3 earthquake, Arup established the following performance targets for the structural members: Primary truss members shall remain elastic or nearly elastic. Secondary truss members are permitted to sustain severe damage. Arup used its own Oasys LS-DYNA nonlinear finite element analysis software to demonstrate how the collapse prevention performance objective could be achieved. The nonlinear response history analysis captures the time histories of forces and deformations in every primary and secondary truss member in the inelastic range when subjected to triaxial earthquake acceleration time histories, representing the ground shaking from a level 3 earthquake. A total of three sets of strong motion records were used to represent the level 3 earthquake ground motion input. The plate thickness of the box-section primary truss members was determined by the need to remain elastic or nearly elastic when subjected to the level 3 earthquake, without meeting the b/t 16 requirement for ductile detailing. As a result of this
design approach, the lowest plate thickness of the primary truss box-section members was reduced to 8mm, with the highest being 100mm. Most members have a plate thickness <70mm. As a result, most primary truss members are classified as slender (class 4 according to Eurocode 37), in which local buckling occurs before the yield stress is reached and before global buckling occurs. The post-local buckling axial force/axial deformation relationship of these members was critical to Arups nonlinear response history analysis (Fig 3). The red line shows such a relationship established from a nonlinear finite element simulation of a typical 24m long, 1.2m x 1.2m box-section primary truss member with a wall thickness of only 10mm. Both global and local imperfections were included in the simulation. The green line shows the relationship recommended in the US performance-based seismic design guideline document FEMA 3568, with the axial strength calculated in accordance with the Chinese structural steel design code9.
-1 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 AXIAL DEFORMATION (m) FEMA 356 backbone curve Non-linear finite element simulation
5. The varying plate thicknesses of the box section members are entirely concealed.
4. Damage states of (a) primary truss members and (b) primary and secondary truss members.
The Arup teams computer simulation suggested that the box section members possess, to some extent, higher strength and deformation capacities, but the green curve was adopted so as to be conservative in the global structures nonlinear response history analysis. Initial nonlinear computer simulations indicated that, in some analysis cases, collapse may occur when subjected to the strong ground shaking of the level 3 earthquake. Arup examined the collapse process in these computer runs and identified the critical primary truss members that needed to be strengthened. After a few iterations, the collapse prevention performance objective was achieved in all analysis cases. In the damage states of the roof truss members (Fig 4), most primary members remained elastic (green), but some sustained moderate damage (blue: the immediate occupancy damage state), entering slightly into the post-buckling range of response. Only a few reached the significant damage state (yellow: the life safety damage state), responding well into the post-buckling range of response but without reaching the point at which strength starts to degrade. On the other hand, as the performance objective had intended, many secondary truss members were damaged severely (red: the collapse prevention performance objective), exhibiting significant strength degradation.
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The expert panel review process for approval The importance of the National Stadium project meant that, besides the normal approval procedure, the Beijing Municipal government set up an expert panel committee to review the structural design, a process similar to that in Japan. In both countries, expert panel review and approval often requires explicit verification of performance under all three earthquake levels, and nonlinear response history analysis is required to demonstrate that the collapse prevention performance objective under the level 3 earthquake has been achieved. In May 2004, the expert panel met for two days in Beijing to review the preliminary design of all disciplines for the Birds Nest. The panel included several chief structural engineers of local architectural design institutes, as well as members of the China Academy of Engineering who are recognised experts in long-span roof structures. At the end of the rigorous review meeting, Arups structural preliminary design passed the review and was endorsed by the panel for approval. Added value Arups performance-based seismic design is not only innovative and rigorous, but also cost-efficient, creating exceptional value for the client. The innovative concept of nearly elastic design subjected to the level 3 earthquake, assisted by the performance-based seismic design and analysis methodology using state-of-the-art nonlinear numerical simulation technology, not only convincingly demonstrated achievement of the collapse prevention performance objective, but also resulted in very significant reduction in the quantity of steel used. The plate thickness of most 1.2m x 1.2m box-section roof members is substantially lower than the 70mm required by the ductile detailing rules specified in many international seismic design codes, for instance American Institute of Steel Constructions Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings10, for achieving seismically compact (equivalent to class 1 plastic in terms of Eurocode 37) sections. Figs 6 and 7 illustrate the distributions of plate thickness of the chord members of the primary trusses. Only two groups of top chord members and four groups of bottom chord members reach or exceed 70mm plate thickness.
a)
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b) 6. Plate thickness distribution of (a) 1.2m deep x 1.2m wide, and (b) 1.0m deep x 1.2m wide top chord members of the primary truss (all thicknesses in mm). 7. Plate thickness distribution of (a) 0.8m deep x 1.2m wide, and (b) 1.2m deep x 1.2m wide bottom chord members of the primary truss (all thicknesses in mm).
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References (1) CHINA EARTHQUAKE ADMINISTRATION. Earthquake intensity zonation map of China. State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, 1990. (2) CHINA EARTHQUAKE ADMINISTRATION. GB18306-2001: Seismic ground motion parameter zonation map of China. General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the Peoples Republic of China, 2001. (3) INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BUILDING OFFICIALS. 1997 Uniform building code. Volume 2: Structural engineering design provisions. UBC, 1997. (4) EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION, EN 1998-1: 2004/Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance Part 1: general rules, seismic actions and rules for buildings, December 2004. (5) MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION. National Standard of the Peoples Republic of China GBJ 11-89. Code for seismic design of buildings. The Ministry, 1989. (6) MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION. National Standard of the Peoples Republic of China GB50011-2001. Code for seismic design of buildings. The Ministry, 20 July 2001. Actualised: 1 January 2002. (7) EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION. EN 1993-1-1: 2005/Eurocode 3. Design of steel structures. Part 1-1: general rules and rules for buildings. EC, May 2005. (8) FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. FEMA 356. Prestandard and commentary for the seismic rehabilitation of buildings. American Society of Civil Engineers, 2000. (9) MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION. National Standard of the Peoples Republic of China GB50017 2003. Code for design of steel structures. The Ministry, 25 April 2003. Actualised: 1 December 2003. (10) AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION. AISC/ANSI 34105. Seismic provisions for structural steel buildings. AISC, March 2005.
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1. The final design allowed a larger opening above the pitch and a reduction in the amount of steel used in the fixed roof.
Design concept Arups brief for the retractable roof covered the development of a performance specification alongside the structural, mechanisation, and control system scheme design to demonstrate feasibility. The original competition entry comprised two large retractable roof panels that split at the halfway line and parked at the ends over the fixed roof when open. Further development of this concept led to a retractable roof structure that reflected the seemingly irregular Birds Nest structure of the fixed roof. Retractable roofs and the systems required to move them need from the start to be considered holistically with the fixed structure. The sheer size and weight of what is being moved means that its
b)
behaviour influences the performance of the other components, and vice versa. Arups concept, therefore, needed to address the compatibility of movements between the fixed and the movable structures induced by the latter as well as imposed loads (such as snow, wind and seismic), thermal movements, and construction tolerances. Fabrication and erection issues also had to be considered from the outset. The overall erection strategy adopted by Arup was to maximise prefabrication and minimise in situ assembly undertaken 70m-80m above ground. The scheme reduced construction and commissioning time by using ground level-based assembly methods, allowing near-finished components to be craned onto the fixed roof. This approach was combined with an off-site test and development programme to eliminate any development during final installation, as part of the overall risk reduction process. Preliminary design A retractable roof design that met both the architectural ambitions and was mechanically reliable was the obvious goal, and these targets became the key drivers. Retractable roof structure The retractable roof structure geometry comprised two halves, each spanning 75m and 70m long. At the back edge of each half (ie the ends furthest from the opening), the perimeter followed the same curve (in plan) as the fixed roof perimeter so that back edge of the retractable roof would merge with the fixed roof when in the open position. At the front of each half, the edge was a more complex curve: when the two halves moved from open to closed, they would form the distinctive yin-yang shape at the halfway line (Fig 3). The adopted design split each half-roof into five different triangular panels so that each half of the roof would move as a train of connected panels (Fig 3). This approach would reduce the loads in both retractable and fixed structure considerably. The triangular panels consisted of primary and secondary steel trusses, the former (maximum 8.2m deep) spanning between bogie support points and carrying the load across the main span. The secondary members, spanning between the primary trusses, would act both as lateral restraint for the primaries and as a method of transferring vertical loads back to the main spans. Separating the roof into discrete panels had significant benefits: Supporting the three corners of each triangular panel meant that the supports were always in contact with the main roof. This statically determinate condition allowed the support conditions to be simplified. The separate panels also allowed the retractable roof to articulate, meaning that the fixed roof did not need to conform to strict displacement criteria; vertical movements in it would be easily accommodated. Separating the roof into smaller panels meant that it could be built on the ground and lifted in, reducing the amount of in situ construction.
The layout of the primary and secondary trusses was co-ordinated with the fixed roof geometry to reduce the visual density of steelwork when seen from above during TV coverage of major events. In the open position, the secondary structural members in the retractable roof aligned directly above the steelwork in the fixed roof. When closed, the retractable roof primary members aligned with the fixed roof members to provide visual continuity (Fig 4). Structural analysis A 3-D structural model of the panels was constructed and analysed using the Oasys program GSA to assess static and dynamic load cases on all five panels and to check compliance with the Chinese steel code. Imposed loads were similar to those used for the fixed roof, with the following additions: Seismic: A first pass seismic analysis was performed using a code-based spectra and dynamic response analysis. Because of the complexity in the load paths, this was later developed into a combined fixed and retractable non-linear seismic model using LS/DYNA non-linear finite element analysis software.
Racking loads: Two additional static loads were reviewed for out-of-tolerance positions during movement (100mm longitudinal racking load and a 200mm vertical differential movement within a panel.) Mechanisation system This comprised the bogies and drive components needed to move the retractable roof. While there is no universally preferred approach for retractable roof bogies and drive systems, the mechanisation design strove for several objectives in pursuit of reliability and cost-effectiveness. The key feature connecting these objectives was mechanical simplicity. Bogie design Each bogie, typically weighing about 3 tonnes, would support the corners of the triangular roof panels. At the interface between the bogie and panels, proprietary plain spherical thrust and sliding bearings would accommodate the movements and carry the lateral loads induced by the drive system and inclined tracks. The bogies also had to provide stability in an extreme seismic event, and additional restraint was provided by sliding restraints transferring loads onto the fixed roof structure. These tie-downs also transferred any uplift loads induced by wind.
Tip lock device Braking unit
6. Bogie in place.
Pinned connection Sliding connection Pinned connection Roller bearing unit Track
Drive system The gradient of the curved track on the fixed roof (10 at its steepest) meant that a powered railway-type bogie system could not be driven reliably without a rack-andpinion drive or winch-driven system. While there was sufficient space within the bogie to package the former, the design progressed using a wire rope (cable) winch system as this was the most cost-effective option. The reeving arrangement chosen conveniently houses the winches within the retractable roof, reducing the amount of exposed equipment on the fixed roof. Mounting the haul ropes, drums and winches on the bogies also reduced the overall length of steel cables required and improved positional control. The cable would not move relative to the fixed roof, so additional sheave rollers on the roof or return pulleys would not be needed (Fig 4). Based on the scheme selected, either hydraulic motor drives or three-phase electric induction motor systems (around 150kW) could be used to move the roof. Control system An automatic system was selected to control the movement of the roof, with only minimal operator intervention. A self-equalising drive system would ensure that the roof moved without skewing on the rails. Accurate positional control would minimise position errors caused by tolerances, structural deflection, wind, or lack of synchronisation between motor drives on each side, and if errors did occur, they could be corrected quickly. Electrically-controlled fail-safe brakes were included in the design to eliminate the risk of control system failures. Arup also completed an initial FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis) for the retractable roof to evaluate the system-wide risks for potentially catastrophic events such as cable failures. Retractable roof performance specification A significant reason for undertaking the retractable roof scheme design was to develop a robust performance specification, which as a result not only developed basic functional requirements such as opening and closing speeds, design life, operating wind, and temperature envelopes, but also allowed relevant structural interface loads, deflections, and tolerances to be described. Other details, such as drainage and sealing and control and maintenance requirements, were also identified in the specifications. The combination of the reference design and performance specification allowed competitive tenders to be obtained for the mechanisation systems as part of a retractable roof procurement process that was based on a properly integrated design.
Passive bogie
Passive bogie Bogie with cable drum Rear of retractable roof Anchor block
The bowl
1. Inclined tribune beams to support precast units that form the terracing.
For the middle and upper tiers, the terracing is formed from precast L-shaped units spanning between the primary frames, and supported on inclined tribune beams (Fig 6). For the middle tier, the tribune beams are 1000mm x 1000mm deep but on the upper tier, due to increased spans, their depth increases to 1.2m. The columns are generally located on every radial grid line. Under the lower tier they are all vertical, but for the middle and upper tiers, the front column is inclined towards the pitch in the radial plane to reduce the cantilever length of the tribune beams. At the back, the columns are inclined both radially and circumferentially. Inclining the columns is a feature of the architectural design, bringing the designedly chaotic faade member arrangement into the concourse area (Fig 7).
4. North/south segment.
7. Inclined columns in concourse area. 8. Modelling analysis of the structure. (a) (b)
5. East/west segment. 6. (a) Section through north/south segment; (b) Section through east/west segment.
(c)
(d
(a)
Ring beam Tribune beam Ring beam
(e)
(f)
Tribune beam
(g)
(b)
Tribune beam
Tribune beam
1. Movement/seismic joint between segments of the bowl structure. 2. Structural system, showing lift cores.
Stretching wires hemed with ETFE film ETFE film Watertight aluminium strip
Welded gutter
3. The inner membrane is a single-layer translucent PTFE membrane, which serves as the acoustic ceiling and provides shade for the spectators.
93.0%
The roof comprises two membrane layers. The outer is a single-layer transparent ETFE (ethyltetrauoroethylene) stretching membrane system (Fig 2), which functions as weatherproof protection to the spectator stands. The inner and ceiling membrane is a single-layer translucent PTFE (polytetrauoroethylene) membrane system (Fig 3), which serves as the acoustic ceiling and provides shade for the spectators. The separation between the membranes is approximately 13m (Fig 4). Because of the interwoven truss structure, the shapes of the roof segments are entirely irregular, varying between triangular and octagonal. There are around 1000 ETFE panels on the roof, ranging in size from 1m2 to 230m2. Altogether, the ETFE panels total some 38 000m2. The ETFE membrane is stressed over a subframe of arches in tubular steel supported on the structural gutter elements, welded to the top chord (Fig 1). The approximately 800 PTFE panels for the acoustic ceiling range from 5m2 to 250m2, and total about 53 000m2. The PTFE acoustic ceiling membrane system is stretched to the tube subframe structure suspended from the underside of the roof truss. Arups scope on the roof cladding and acoustic ceiling was to design for the loading effects onto the supporting roof structure.
2. Wind comfort range in the external plaza. 3. Wind speed contour over the turfed area.
Table 1. Exceedances of 2m/sec tailwind for various events during summer. Events 100m/200m sprints 100m/110m hurdles Long and triple jumps (north to south) Long and triple jumps (south to north) Amount of time tailwind exceeds 2m/s 5.44% 4.80% 0.00% 7.07%
1. External plaza.
1. Over 90 000 spectators and more than 15 000 performers at the opening ceremony.
50 Outdoor temperature 45 Roof cladding Steel structure 40 TEMPERATURE (C) Acoustic ceiling
35
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25
20
15 00.00
04.00
08.00
12.00 TIME
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3. Variation of surface temperature and outdoor temperature in one typical August day.
Fig 3 shows the surface temperatures of the roof and steel members on a typical day in August (ie matching conditions during the Olympic Games). The maximum temperature of the acoustic ceiling and the roof cladding could increase to 38C during daytime, with the roof steel members as hot as 47C due to the strong solar radiation effect and the heat absorption properties of steel. With the temperature and relative humidity distribution and air velocity vectors evaluated by CFD, the thermal comfort conditions at the spectator area of the Stadium were assessed. During the design process, the following optimisations were performed to improve the thermal comfort level cost-effectively, without any active mechanical systems: s INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE HIGHEST SEATS AND THE FALSE CEILING FROM M TO 8m, so that the occupants of these seats are below the stratied hot air layer under the roof s REDUCE THE AREA OF THE OUTER TRANSPARENT %4&% MEMBRANE LAYER AT THE SIDE SO AS TO enlarge the opening for natural ventilation. The optimisations proved effective in terms of the thermal sensation index (Fig 5). %VALUATION INDICATED THAT DURING NIGHT
TIME OPERATION THE THERMAL SENSATION INDEX IN most areas, apart from some localised hot zones, varied from 4.0 to approximately 5.0 on the Givoni scale, which is considered comfortable for a stadium environment, mainly attributed to the enhanced air movement.
4. Increased openings to the sides of the outer membrane improve ventilation.
4.00 40.50 5.00 5.50
5. Givonis thermal sensation index. Top: original design; above: optimised design.
35.0
37.5
40.0
42.5
45.0
6. Temperature distribution.
Reference (1) GIVONI, B. Climate considerations in building and urban design. Wiley, 1998.
1. All the stairways, vomitories, and passageways were designed to comply with the Chinese codes.
Stadium bowl: means of escape Should an alarm occur, the strategy within the Stadium bowl is for the approximately 91 000 occupants to evacuate only if it is necessary and safe for them to do so. The Green Guide1 recommends that the flow time from a stadium should not be more than eight minutes, and the bowl has been designed to be cleared within this time period. Occupants exiting during the eight minutes may gather on the concourse areas during egress. The Stadium tiers are served by six concourses below the seating areas of tiers 2 and 3, of which the ground floor level (level 1), has direct and open access onto tier 1. The gangways in the seated areas and vomitories are a minimum of 1.2m wide, and barriers are installed on the exits (Fig 2) to avoid multi-evacuation flows crushing at their entry points. Control of internal fire spread and structural fire protection All viewing accommodation spaces are separated from adjacent areas or voids, and all the stairways, vomitories, and passageways were designed to comply with the Chinese codes. The concessions and high-risk areas are protected locally by using the cabin concept, which makes use of sprinklers, smoke barriers and a dynamic smoke control system in a concept being first proposed by Arups Margaret Law2. For structural fire protection, the team adopted a performance-based solution. It was concluded that additional fire protection was only needed for the critical structural steel roof members within 6m of the spectators. Most of the structural members of the roof, therefore, did not require fire protection.
References
Head of stairway
1.1m minimum
Down
(1) BRE GLOBAL. The Green Guide to Specification. http://www.thegreenguide.org.uk/ (2) LAW, M. Fire and smoke models: their use in the design of some large buildings. Paper 90-10-3. ASHRAE Transactions, 96(1), pp963-971. American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and AirConditioning Engineers, 1990.
1. More than 200 double U-shaped pipes were buried vertically 100m deep and about 5m apart to form underground heat exchangers beneath the 5000m2 pitch.
The primary source for space heating and sanitary hot water is the high-temperature supply from Beijings municipal heating networks. The total heating load for space heating is 19 776kW, and 1800kW for sanitary hot water, bringing the total demand on the municipal networks to 21 576kW. The pressure difference between municipal primary hot supply water and return water was required to be no less than 0.2MPa. The total cooling load of the air-conditioning systems during the Games was 14 892.8kW/4235 RT (refrigeration tonnage) and is 20 993kW/5970 RT for commercial operation post-Olympics. Dual-mode operation chillers were installed for the Games, and an ice-storage system including ice tanks and glycol pumps was introduced afterwards. To limit pressure drop along the Stadiums chilled water networks, two chiller rooms were placed in the basements, an arrangement that also took into consideration the locations of the cooling towers, which had to be discreetly camouflaged within the overall landscape design. During the Olympics, two dual-mode chillers were installed in each chiller room, each with a cooling capacity of 3393.2kW/965 RT (air-conditioning mode). The total installed capacity of the chillers in the two chiller rooms is 13 572.8kW/3860 RT. The supply and return temperature of chilled water is 5/13C and that of cooling water is 32/37C. The HVAC hydronics were designed to be variable flow, using two-pipe systems with a mix of dynamic balance valves, direct-return, and reverse-return, depending on water circuit balancing requirements. In post-Olympics commercial mode, the ice storage system has a designed total capacity of 64 891kWh/18 480 RT. The system features partial ice storage, ice tanks, and chillers in series, with the chillers upstream. In addition to the main chiller plant and the ice storage provisions, a ground source chiller system was designed to meet partial cooling load requirements during the Olympics, and provide the cooling source for interior zones in post-Olympics commercial operation mode during winter and the spring and autumn transition seasons, when the cooling load is not significant, as the base-load units for the ice storage system. Making full use of a renewable energy source, this design concept embraced the green Olympics philosophy. The designed capacity of the ground source chiller was 1500kW, provided by two 750kW water-cooling screw chillers. More than 200 double U-shaped pipes were buried vertically 100m deep and about 5m apart (avoiding some edges and critical locations of drainage and irrigation systems) to form underground heat exchangers beneath the 5000m2 pitch.
Natural ventilation was adopted in the Stadium bowl, based on fluid dynamics and thermodynamic analysis. Air intake vents were located at the lower parts of the Stadium around entrances and in dedicated openings up to some 2m above ground level based on meteorological studies and environment simulation analysis. With the intake and exhaust vents located at about 4m above the highest seating open in summer, a certain volume of air flows through the Stadium bowl and forms sensible airflow. Originally, when the retractable roof was still part of the design, both vents and the roof membrane would have been closed for spectator air temperature comfort at large-scale events, with the closed roof also acting, of course, as protection against rain and direct sun. In the Stadium as built, although the roof is open, the fact that there are no low-level vents permanently open significantly reduces air movement across the seating areas, analogous to the way in which a cave with one opening only affords significantly warmer shelter than a tunnel with both ends open. Individual spaces, such as the preparation area for players to warm up before or rest between events, the venue operation office, management offices, commentary control room, broadcast information rooms, press and media areas, VIP boxes, dining rooms, and medical clinic are provided with air-conditioning and heating systems. Based on the particular room function and purpose, all-air systems, fan coil with primary air systems, or multi-split air-condition units were adopted as appropriate. 100% fresh air free cooling was designed for large spaces by all air systems in mild seasons. Plumbing and drainage design In view of the huge water consumption estimated for irrigation, cleaning the car park and running tracks, cooling tower make-up, and toilet flushing, from the outset the design team formulated a water conservation strategy. A massive stormwater recapture system, including six stormwater collection and retention tanks - five 2700m and one 1000m - was designed to be buried underground at the north and south sides of the Stadium. Areas of stormwater recapture include the field of the main Stadium, the roof, and the landscaped area around, with interception ditches to catch the runoff rainwater, and collect and discharge it to the various retention tanks. The maximum quantity collectable on the site in 24 hours for a designed one-year return period is about 12 750m - sufficient for 40 days average consumption of non-potable water for the whole project. To supplement the non-potable water supply in winter and dry seasons, grey water is supplied to the Stadium from three town mains.
42 The Arup Journal 1/2009
Three other town mains supply fresh water via multiple access points at a water supply pressure of not less than 0.25MPa. Connected from these town mains, two 250mm diameter water supply lines were laid within the Stadium building line from the south east and the west, forming a ring water supply pipe network. In addition, one 100mm water supply pipe was laid from the north to supply domestic water in the warm-up field. Having considered the functional requirement during and after the Games, the design team calculated that the maximum water consumption would occur during the Games, with peak usages of 1201.2m3 per day and 210.1m3 per hour. Hot water would be provided by using the city district heating network as primary heat source, with a set of electric water boilers as back-up should the district heating network fail or be in maintenance. A combined soil and waste drainage system was designed to collect foul water and discharge to the grey water return main, which in turn drains back to the city sewage treatment and grey water processing plant. The stormwater drainage system design for the Stadium roof combines gravity and siphonic drainage, tailored to fit the roofs unique shape. Rainfall runs by gravity to large catch basins suspended under the roof structure. Siphonic rainwater outlets in these catch basins then discharge to main stormwater drains, following the profile of the Stadium structure, by slimmer downpipes. Automatically rising, water-saving sprinkler irrigation equipment was installed for daily maintenance of the field of play and the warm-up field. Thirty-five special rising sprinkler heads for the Stadium pitch are arranged in a rectangle, each shooting 17m at a flow rate of 3.8m per hour. A humidity inductor head is set in soil in the centre of the field to maintain automatic and intelligent control of the sprinkler irrigation system. Each sprinkler irrigation unit can be operated according to pre-scheduled time slots for the various areas served, so that the appropriate rate of water is sprayed to meet the pitch needs in different weather conditions.
2. Beneath the field, six massive stormwater collection and retention tanks are buried at the north and south sides of the Stadium.
3. High efficiency 2000W metal halide lamps, specially for stadium use, are used as light sources.
Electrical services and extra low voltage (ELV) systems As one of the most important facilities in China for welcoming visitors, athletes, and political leaders from more than 200 countries in the case of the Olympics the National Stadium is classified as Chinese super-class-1 for electricity power supply. The most critical loads for which detailed design reliability assessments were carried out were those from the pitch, royal box, VIP rooms, VIP reception room, pitch lighting, square lighting, time and scoreboard recording systems, computer room, communication equipment room, voice reinforcement service room, TV and broadcasting transfer system, media, emergency lighting, fire-fighting, event information management system, safe and security system, and data network system. Other areas of comparatively lesser importance were designed to different levels of resilience. The total calculated peak electrical loads were 14 601kW for the Olympics and 15 902kW for post-Olympic operation. Four individual 10kV power feeders lead into the site from two separate 110kV substations. The capacity of each incoming power supply feeder was recommended 10 000kVA maximum, not exceeding 12 000kVA. The consequences of various failure scenarios was assessed, including the unlikely breakdown of one of the 110 kV substations, or of one or even two incoming power feeders, and it was determined that the power supply for the whole site could be maintained normally. On top of all these provisions, four 800kW emergency generators were installed to ensure operational security of fire services systems, emergency lighting, and some selected critical loads in a disaster scenario. Eight transformer rooms were planned adjacent to load centres or areas to be covered, to meet the power requirement in an energy-efficient arrangement so that copper loss would be minimised. Harmonic filtering devices were installed to improve power quality and further reduce power loss. Checks subsequent to the Olympics showed that the maximum load for the whole project during the Games was slightly below 10 000kW, well within the capabilities of the electrical system design. The lighting control systems have 10 modes: daily maintenance, recreation and training, club matches, ball game matches, national and international athletics competition, common matches with television, football matches with television, significant matches with television, football matches with HDTV, and emergency TV lighting. The numbers of lamps for the different lighting modes and the illuminance required are different, and are controlled by a European standard type i-bus lighting control system.
For the Stadium floodlighting, high efficiency 2000W metal halide lamps, specially for stadium use, are used as the light sources. The colour rendering index (CRI) is Ra>90, the colour temperature Tk>5000K, and the life of the lamps not be less than 5000 hours. Design measures to ensure luminance uniformity and to avoid flicker and glare were integrated in the lighting design by considering the lamp source locations and the power circuitry connections. To embrace the themes of high-tech Olympics and Peoples Olympics, a comprehensive telecommunication and intelligent system was designed. Without elaborating each functional requirement in detail, the entire concept of this telecom and intelligent system comprised the following sub-systems: building automation sports events information management timing, scoring, and spot result processing arbitration recording data network communications network (including wireless data transmission) generic cabling electronic display public address system and background music satellite receiving and cable TV main timing clock multi-functional conference system simultaneous interpretation office automation TV broadcasting and spot commentating security computerised traffic monitoring and display management system ticket examination building management system (BMS) fire alarm. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is considered to have been one of the most successful international events ever to have been held. In particular, the opening and the closing ceremonies in the Birds Nest demonstrated the organising ability, technological know-how, and spirit of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee. Even with such a high demand on the building services systems during so many important events within just two weeks, their design met or even exceeded the expectations of all the athletes, other users, and audience, both in the Stadium itself and through TV world-wide.
4. Wall washing of the bowl surface and glass walls, the pendant lighting and the accent spotlights, all combine to create the ambience of the concourse levels.
Accent lighting for the interior columns would also enliven the space, as well as add to the overall external silhouette lighting effect (Fig 2). Very narrow beam spotlights would be mounted on the columns at various heights to accentuate the outer surface of these columns. Also important in creating the overall image of the Stadium is the wash of light over the outside surface of the red Stadium bowl. An even wash of saturated red light on the bowl surface was proposed, using asymmetric floodlight fixtures mounted at key locations around the bowl. The final element in creating the external silhouette effect, as well as enhancing the brightness and ambience of the interior of the concourse spaces, is the wall-washing of the vertical surfaces. All surfaces of the cores and the glass walls that face out of the Stadium were proposed to be lit by a regular series of linear wall-wash fixtures (Fig 4). The team carried out detailed lighting studies to ensure that all these lighting elements worked well together to deliver the desired appearance. This involved selecting fixtures with the appropriate light distribution and aiming them within a 3-D model to ensure that an appropriate distribution of light was achieved while at the same time minimising glare and visual distraction from the luminaires.
Functional and exterior lighting Functional lighting to the main concourse areas is provided by the custom-designed pendant fittings designed by Herzog & de Meuron with advice from Arup (Fig 5). These are regularly spaced along the length of the concourse on each level. The exterior lighting concept was to keep the light sources low to the ground, maintaining the Stadium itself as the focus of the site and extending the lighting out like radiating tree-roots from the Stadium geometry. This effect is achieved with points of light positioned along the edges of the various pathways leading to the main entrances. The area immediately surrounding is lit primarily by spill light from the Stadium itself, and the team made analytical design studies to quantify this light and ensure that sufficient levels would be achieved. Beyond the security perimeter, the low-level path lighting is used. These are custom-designed lanterns mounted at regular spacing along the paths (Fig 6). Their design, developed by Herzog & de Meuron with advice from Arup, references the look of the Birds Nest itself. Additional functional lighting was developed for the security control points and for feature lighting for the vegetation around the landscape (Fig 7).
7. Low-level lighting and feature lighting amongst the vegetation both complement the glowing heart of the Stadium.
On site Arups lighting concept was further developed by local parties: the main lighting supplier, Landsky also a sponsor of the Games and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). The lighting group at BIAD recognised the need for continuing artistic and specialised input and decided that Arup Lighting should remain involved, albeit to a limited extent. Arup Lighting staff combined visits to Beijing for other clients with limited input on the Stadium and the evaluation of several mock-ups and lighting tests. These mock-up viewings were where most of the interaction between the members of the team took place. After all, lighting has to be seen! Herzog & de Meuron wanted Arups original design to be executed, and joined some of the mock-up sessions. Arup Lightings Global Leader Rogier van der Heide described the lighting concept as a scheme that is in all its simplicity a metaphor for the energy that radiates from the athletes. A red-lit core of the Stadium, with its light intensity changing as a heart beat, is wrapped into a black-and-white lit faade, which appears much like a paper cut work of art. The contrast between the voluminous red body, living and solid, and the crisp, silhouette-like immaterial black and white, produces intriguing vistas that are never boring and will inspire hundreds of thousands of people who come not only to the Games to see the athletes but also for the sensational experience of the architectural environment.
a)
b)
c)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 lux
8. Lighting studies for the floodlighting of the roof (a), (b,) and for the bowl (c); the red dots are floodlight fittings, with the arrows showing the directions in which they are aimed.
a)
Natural lighting performance Arup Lighting also advised on the natural lighting performance of the Stadium roof, focusing on two areas, the field itself and the spectator experience. Several daylight studies were carried out to ensure that the grass receives sufficient daylight to grow and that sharp shadows from sunlight on the field are minimised. In addition, work was carried out on the selection of the roof cladding materials to ensure that the spectators benefit from daylight also, and to optimise the visibility of the roof structure above the arena ceiling by day once again in order to realise the architectural aspirations. 10. Daylight studies: the plots show the hours of sunlight per year that fall on various parts of the field.
The first mock-up was off-site, and focused on the red lighting. The Stadium bowl is lit from the outside in saturated red light, and the main question the design team faced was whether to accomplish the desired deep, red glow entirely with red light or with red paint on the wall surfaces. As usually, the right answer lay somewhere in the middle, and budgets played a role too. The mock-up proved that to create uniformity fluorescent performs better than LED, and the specifics of the red paint on the wall were also crucial in defining the effect. By July 2007, it was time to build a mock-up on site. Here, the combination of the paper cut effect with its red background would be seen for the first time. The paper cut effect relies on great glare control and minimal spill light, and both proved to be very challenging. To achieve the desired effect relied on precise beam control, given the quality of the locally sourced light fittings. The mock-ups were satisfying in some ways, but proved that a lot of work was still required to live up to the aspirations of the design team, with the clean white light of the main faade (the paper-cut effect) making the intended striking contrast with the warm, intensely red light of the Stadium inside. Arup provided a detailed report to the Landsky/BIAD team with comments and recommendations on how to go ahead, carefully considering not only the level of ambition but also what was feasible in Beijing, and within the given time frame. A second viewing on site was the final opportunity to secure the aimed-for quality. In April 2008, the installation was already 30% complete but Arup concluded that though the red lighting worked quite well, the white lighting of the faade (the paper cut effect) was not satisfactory. With Herzog & de Meuron it was agreed not to change the lighting scheme any more as the understated approach based on purity and simplicity that Arup had developed with them was still preferred. But how to gain control of the spill light? Would the big white wash-lights that Landsky was installing not wipe out the red effect on the inner volume? Viewing the partly completed installation proved that it was mainly good focusing that the project lacked at that time. A final briefing of the Landsky/BIAD team marked the completion of Arup Lightings involvement. Good, precise focusing with the help of some theatre-like flaps on the fittings resulted in the desired effect, and the final realisation of the lighting concept was the crowning glory in achieving the welcoming and exciting appearance that all concerned desired for this principle venue for the Olympic Games, accentuating the architecture at night and creating a new landmark for the Beijing night sky.
a)
Sun hours 4161 3723 3285 2847 2409 1971 1533 1095 657 219
This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in a special Beijing Olympics issue (August/September 2008) of Mondo Arc magazine (http://www.mondoarc.com). b)
Table 1. Timetable. Competition phase Design competition Contract negotiation Design phase Schematic design Preliminary design Extended preliminary design Construction design Construction phase Excavation and piling Bowl construction Roof steelwork installation Roof cladding Testing and commissioning Trial track events XXIX Olympiad 2008
Jury decision (25 March 2003)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Temporary site suspension for revision of roof design Completion of main truss erection (31 August 2006) Completion of stadium (28 June 2008)
Completion of bowl structure (15 November 2005) Dismantle temporary mast support (17 September 2006)
8 to 28 August 2008
Scope
Retractable roof
Fire engineering
Steel structure
Lighting design
R A C A A
Work stage Schematic design Preliminary design Construction design Site co-ordination
R A
R R C C
R A C ni
R R A C
R R na na
A A C ni
ni R ni ni
A A C ni
R C C ni
R ni ni ni
Responsible
Assist
Consultant
ni Not included
na Not applicable
the Beijing government to deliver the best Olympics Games ever is truly admirable. The Birds Nest was designed and completed in less than five years to be ready for the 2008 Games. It was the centre of focus in the Olympic Green, and in the continuing aftermath attracts thousands of tourists every day. It provided the perfect venue for athletes to stretch their performance and break new records, and for the designers it was the perfect building to stretch innovative thinking and break new ground in the application of its technologies.
Cost control
A A ni ni
MEP design
Foundation
Acoustics
1. Erection of a roof member. 2. Construction of tribune beam of upper tier. 3. Installation of outer column base. 4. Roof main trusses installed for the ring truss portion. 5. Close-up of the eave portion of the roof/faade, showing the curved and twisted structural members.
Authors Stephen Burrows is a Principal of Arup in the San Francisco office, and was the Global Leader of ArupSport and the Project Director for the design of the Beijing National Stadium from competition stage through the schematic design stage. Tony Choi is an Associate Director of Arup in the Hong Kong office, and was Project Manager and discipline leader for the Stadiums structural design after the schematic design stage. Xiaonian Duan is an Associate of Arup in the Advanced Technology and Research group in London. He was discipline specialist for the seismic engineering design of the Stadium. Goman Ho is a Director of Arup and leader of the structural team in the Beijing office. He was the expert reviewer for the seismic design of the Stadium. Michael Kwok is a Director of Arup in Hong Kong and in China. He was the leader of the Beijing office and the Project Director of the Beijing National Stadium project after the schematic design stage. Kylie Lam is an Associate of Arup in the Hong Kong office. She was the engineer for the analytical design of the Stadium roof. Thomas Lam, formerly an Associate of Arup in the Hong Kong office, was project engineer for the structural design of the Stadium after the schematic design stage. Mingchun Luo is a Technical Director of Arup in the Hong Kong office. He led the fire engineering concept design of the Stadium. John Lyle is a Director of Arup with the Advanced Technology + Research London group. He led the Stadiums retractable roof structural and mechanisation design team. J Parrish is a Director of ArupSport in the London office. He led the sports architecture design of the Stadium. Jeff Shaw is an Associate Director of Arup Lighting in the London office. He was responsible for advising Herzog & de Meuron on the development of the architectural, effect, and landscape lighting design for the Stadium. Lewis Shiu is a Director of Arup and group leader of the Beijing office. He was Project Manager for the building services design of the Stadium. Martin Simpson is an Associate Director of ArupSport in the Manchester office. He was lead structural engineer of ArupSport in the roof design of the Stadium from competition stage through schematic design stage. Alex To is a senior engineer with Arup in the Hong Kong office. He was the wind expert in the wind engineering design of the Beijing National Stadium. Rogier van der Heide is a Director of Arup Lighting in the Netherlands and is the global leader of Arup Lighting. With BIAD and Landsky, he developed and detailed the architectural feature lighting and event lighting for the Stadium. Rumin Yin is an Associate with Arup in the Hong Kong office. He was project engineer in the study of environmental thermal comfort of the Stadium.
Credits Client: National Stadium Co Ltd Promoters: Beijing Municipal Planning Commission and Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Architect: Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG Associate architect/civil engineer: Chinese Architectural Design & Research Group SMEP engineering, acoustics and fire strategy, lighting, and sports architecture: Arup Francesco Anselmo, Mark Arkinstall, Hazel Ashton, Martin Austin, Garry Banks, Daniel Bartminn, Fergus Begley, Felix Beyreuther, Joanna Black, Chris Brewis, Graham Britton, Stephen Burrows, Neil Carstairs, Jon Carver, Rachel Chaloner, Ernest Chan, Maverick Chan, Power Chan, Vincent Cheng, Yu-Lung Cheng, ZJ Cheng, James Cheung, Tony Choi, Kenneth Chong, Simon Chung, Cormac Clearly, Christopher Clifford, Dan Clipsom, Chris Cole, Colin Curtis, Tony Day, Roy Denoon, Lin-Nan Duan, Xiaonian Duan, Gerry Eccles, Emily Emerson, Paul Entwistle, Mike Farrell, Robin Firth, Maggue Fu, Y Fu, David Gration, Kathy Gubbins, Stephen Hendry, Jason Hewitt, Colin Ho, Goman Ho, YK Ho, Trevor Hodgson, Peter Howe, Matthew Derenzy Jones, Vincent Keasberry, Charlie Kendall, Lee Kirby, Michael Kwok, David Lai, Francis Lam, Kylie Lam, Thomas Lam, JF Lao, Pablo Lazo, Clive Lewis, Mark Lewis, H Li, Jing-Yu Li, L Li, GY Liu, Louis Liu, Peng Liu, Rob Livesey, Peter Llewelyn, Mingchun Luo, Yong-Qiang Luo, John Lyle, Simon Mabey, Charles Macdonald, Toby McCorry, Burkhard Miehe, Richard Morris, Erin Morrow, Donie OLoughlin, Darren Paine, J Parrish, Tom Pearson, Azhar Quaiyoom, Sreejit Raghu, Roland Reinardy, Paul Richardson, Marcel Ridyard, Matthew Salisbury, Andrew Sedgwick, Jeff Shaw, Jon Shillibeer, Lewis Shiu, Flora Shum, Martin Simpson, Jim Smith, Rob Smith, Joe Stegers, Jason Tam, Arra Tan, Johnson Tang, Graeme Taylor, Nikita Taylor, Jeff Teerlinck, Alex To, Roland Trim, David Twiss, Eugene Uys, Rogier van der Heide, Alexandra van Tintelen, David Vesey, John Waite, Bai-Qian Wan, Timothy Wan, York Wang, YY Wang, Trevor Wheatley, Andrew Wilkinson, Michael Willford, Alastair Wilson, CW Wong, Stella Wong, Terry Wong, Andrew Woodhouse, Freddie Xu, Lucy Xu, Jimmy Yam, Jian-Feng Yao, Jackie Yau, Raymond Yau, Kenneth Yeung, Raymond Yin, Rumin Yin, Peter Young, Fiona Yuen, Julian Zheng Main contractors: Beijing Urban Construction Group and CITIC International Contracting Inc Lighting supplier: Landsky Lighting consultant: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design. Illustrations: Arup with the following exceptions: Front cover, pp2-3, 7, 9(3), 10(8), 11(9, 10), 14(14), 15, 31, 35, 37(1), 38(1), 41(1), 42(2), 43(3), 44(5), 46(7), 47(11) Dreamstime; pp5(1, 2), 18(11), 26(3), 27(6, 7), 30(8), 33(6), 36(1, 4), 39(3), 40(2), 48(1, 2) Nigel Whale; pp5(3), 19(15, 16), 28(2) Herzog & de Meuron; p11(11) Xiao Long; pp14(15), 23(15), 26(5), 40(1), 44(1, 2), 45(4) J Parrish; pp16(5), 18(10), 51, back cover Ben McMillan; pp22(8), 23(10-14) CADG; p24(1) Marcel Lam; p32(1) Philip Dilley; pp32(2), 49(1) Chas Pope; pp33(7), 34(1), 49(4) Rory McGowan; p36(2) Martin Saunders; p36(3) Jeremy Stern; pp39(4), 49(5) Chris Dite; p45(6) Lewis Shiu.
It was the best, most comfortable and most accessible facility I have ever worked in at an Olympics. There wasnt a photographer who worked in the Stadium who had a single complaint. I cant tell how happy everyone was. I wish all stadiums were that easy to work in. The moat was wide, accommodated two rows of photographers and was the perfect height. The moats around the Stadium in other locations were perfect also. The head on platform was also the right height, width and size. Plenty of room for all of the photographers to work.
Gary Hershorn, Reuters News editor and veteran photographer of five Olympics. 50 The Arup Journal 1/2009
About Arup
Arup is a global organisation of designers, engineers, planners, and business consultants, founded in 1946 by Sir Ove Arup (1895-1988). It has a constantly evolving skills base, and works with local and international clients around the world. Arup is owned by Trusts established for the benefit of its staff and for charitable purposes, with no external shareholders. This ownership structure, together with the core values set down by Sir Ove Arup, are fundamental to the way the firm is organised and operates. Independence enables Arup to: shape its own direction and take a long-term view, unhampered by short-term pressures from external shareholders distribute its prots through reinvestment in learning, research and development, to staff through a global profit-sharing scheme, and by donation to charitable organisations. Arups core values drive a strong culture of sharing and collaboration.
All this results in: a dynamic working environment that inspires creativity and innovation a commitment to the environment and the communities where we work that defines our approach to work, to clients and collaborators, and to our own members robust professional and personal networks that are reinforced by positive policies on equality, fairness, staff mobility, and knowledge sharing the ability to grow organically by attracting and retaining the best and brightest individuals from around the world - and from a broad range of cultures - who share those core values and beliefs in social usefulness, sustainable development, and excellence in the quality of our work. With this combination of global reach and a collaborative approach that is values-driven, Arup is uniquely positioned to fulfil its aim to shape a better world. The Arup Journal 1/2009 51
Front cover: The Beijing National Stadium by day. Back cover: The Beijing National Stadium illuminated at night. Special thanks to Tony Choi for co-ordinating this special edition. environmental print technology. The printing inks are made Printed in England by Beacon Press using their from vegetable based oils and 95% of cleaning solvents are recycled for further use. All electricity was generated from renewable sources and on average 94% of any waste associated with this product will be recycled. Beacon Press is a carbon neutral company, and is registered to environmental standards ISO14001 and EMAS.
The Arup Journal Vol44 No1 (1/2009) Editor: David J Brown Designer: Nigel Whale Editorial: Tel: +1 617 349 9291 Published by Corporate Communications Group, Arup, 13 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BQ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7636 1531 Fax: +44 (0)20 7580 3924 E-mail: [email protected] All articles Arup 2009 www.arup.com