All Structure resources

The Armada Platform is operated by BG Group and exploits three gas and condensate fields in the Central North Sea, 250 km east of Aberdeen. It comprises a four legged steel spaceframe jacket supporting a single integrated deck containing wellhead, process and accommodation facilities. The living facilities on the platform required extending to accommodate 59 personnel. Four blast and fire rated accommodation modules and two walkway modules linking the new modules to the existing accommodation were added to the platform in 2009. The structural cladding of these modules was corrugated stainless steel.

The Cala Galdana Bridge crosses the Algendar River in Menorca. There are panoramic views of this popular beach-side holiday resort from the 55 m span, 13 m wide road bridge. The main structure of the bridge is entirely stainless steel and includes two parallel arches, two longitudinal beams and transverse beams supporting the deck. Reinforced concrete makes up the abutments at each end, which sit on piled foundations. The bridge, opened in 2005, was the first stainless steel road bridge in Europe.

The new headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg was completed in 2004. It is located on the Kirchberg plateau of Luxembourg and comprises a fully renovated existing building of 5,000 m2 and new buildings providing an additional 20,000 m2 of office space. The new buildings form a succession of four distinct wings linked together by glass footbridges. They have a steel primary frame with glass and steel façades, and the floors are designed as composite slabs using stainless steel panels profiled in a sinusoidal shape. Within the composite floor slab, water-carrying plastic pipes are placed to provide heating and cooling through the exposed stainless steel ceilings, leading to significant energy savings.

The Helix Bridge is a landmark pedestrian bridge in Singapore, comprising a walkway surrounded by opposing double helix structures made from stainless steel. The design was inspired by the geometric helicoidal arrangement of DNA, which is seen as a symbol of continuity and renewal. The 280 m long bridge is the first double-helix bridge in the world and forms part of a 3.5 km continuous waterfront promenade, linking the Marina Centre, the waterfront area and a large casino/hotel resort. It is a very lightweight structure built almost entirely using duplex stainless steel.

Beijing’s Poly Plaza is the new headquarters for China Poly, a state-owned organisation with diverse responsibilities in the defence trade, real estate, cultural industries and mineral exploration. In addition to the company’s headquarters, the 100,000 m2 building comprises office space, shops and restaurants. The structure is triangular in plan, with an L-shaped office block forming two sides and the third side formed by one of the world’s largest cable-net glass curtain walls. This creates a large atrium inside the structure, within which the 8 storey Poly Museum—‘The lantern’—is suspended. Stainless steel cables and castings support the cable-net wall. The support fittings were cast from high strength duplex stainless steel.

The Parliament Library building in New Delhi, India, was completed in 2002. Given the significance of the building, the developers (Central Public Works Department) were keen to use the best materials possible, with the latest technologies. It was also imperative for the building to blend in with the surrounding environment. The result is a four-storey building, two floors of which are above ground. The main architectural feature is the twelve individual domes which make up the roof, each comprising different dimensions, designs and materials. The domes are both the highest and most recognisable elements of the building. Two of the domes are made from glass and stainless steel.

The Schubert Club Band Shell is an outdoor venue for performing arts on Raspberry Island, in the middle of the Mississippi River in St Paul, Minnesota. It was commissioned by the Schubert Club and completed in 2002. The island had been neglected for many years before the Band Shell was built but now offers generous pedestrian walkways, unique and scenic vistas as well as a central location. The structure itself is saddle-shaped (anticlastic) and brings together concrete, wood, stainless steel and laminated glass to create a functional space. The design team developed a 7.6 m wide stainless steel lattice grid that spans 15.2 m between precast concrete abutments and covers a wood-framed stage. Acid-etched glass is offset from and supported by the lattice.

Stonecutters Bridge, Hong Kong, is a cable stayed structure with a total length of 1596 m and a main span of 1018 m. Opened at the end of 2009, the bridge crosses the Rambler Channel and is the main entrance to the busy Kwai Chung Container Port. It is visible from many parts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The most striking features of the bridge are the twin tapered mono towers at each end supporting the 50 m wide deck. These tapered towers rise to 295 m above sea level; the lower sections are reinforced concrete while the upper 115 m are composite sections with an outer stainless steel skin and a reinforced concrete core.

Duplex stainless steels are increasingly used as structural materials in building and architecture because of their exceptional mechanical properties. Their room temperature yield strength in the solutiona nnealed condition is more than twice that of standard austenitic stainless steels not alloyed with nitrogen. Over the last few years, they have started playing an increasingly important role in the construction of bridges, wherever specific environmental conditions combine with the need for high load-bearing capability.