Finalists for Year in Infrastructure 2018 Awards: STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

Bentley Systems announced the finalists for Year in Infrastructure 2018 Awards in the category of Structural Engineering for going digital advancements in infrastructure:

• Arab Engineering Bureau

Burj Alfardan

Lusail, Qatar

Project Playbook: STAAD.Pro

Arab Engineering Bureau (AEB) provided structural design services on the QAR 950 million Alfardan Office Tower, located in the Marina District of Lusail City in Doha, Qatar. The mixed-use, high-rise tower occupies 12,541 square meters and comprises offices, restaurants, parking facilities, and storage space. The building features three basements, a ground floor, mezzanine, 27 upper levels, a penthouse, and a main roof level. The structural design consists of curved geometry, organic shapes, and a glazed façade.

The project team used STAAD.Pro to design all the steel structural elements. Bentley’s interoperable structural design and analysis technology enabled AEB to incorporate structural grids, converting wire mesh to 3D models for analysis and presentation. Then, AEB imported the models into CAD format. The software’s automated features and user-friendly platform allowed for effortless modeling in accordance with U.S. and European codes, saving 20 to 30 percent in design resource hours to lower project costs.

• Shilp Consulting Engineers

Alambagh Bus Terminal

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Project Playbook: RCDC, STAAD, Steel Autodrafter

The Alambagh Bus Terminal land parcel in the heart of Lucknow City in Uttar Pradesh, India was selected to be redeveloped to increase capacity of the bus stand and add commercial facilities. Shilp Consulting Engineers was retained as the structural consultants on this INR 2.56 billion project. The local government wanted to develop bus stands owned by the State Road Transport in a public-private partnership model, choosing the Alambagh Bus Terminal to pilot the project. Shilp Consulting Engineers was asked to expand the existing bus stand facility from 25 bus platforms to 60 platforms, as well as offer parking spaces for another 40 buses and add on a mixed-use building that includes retail stores, a multiplex, and a hotel. The design provided challenges because all levels of the facility required different design schemes in more than 60 percent of the areas.

The project team used RCDC for design and analysis of all reinforced concrete structures, enabling accurate material takeoffs, and the team used STAAD for all steel structural elements. Using Bentley’s structural design and analysis applications saved significant time during design checks and enabled the generation of more than 350 error-free construction drawings, which were expected to increase to nearly 500 by the end of the project. Overall, more than 5,000 resource hours were saved, allowing the team to stay ahead of the delivery schedule.

• VYOM Consultants

K10 Grand Commercial High Rise

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Project Playbook: STAAD

An iconic addition to the Vadodara skyline in Gujarat, India, K10 Grand is an INR 1.2 billion commercial building project with a cutting-edge design inspired by Dubai’s Burj Al Arab. VYOM Consultants’ project team needed comprehensive structural design and analysis software to accommodate the complicated geometry associated with designing three connected, 12-story, and curvilinear tower sections that featured column-free space. Upon completion, the new building will become a coveted business hub and provide infrastructure that encourages a well-balanced working environment.

The team performed numerous design iterations and analyses with STAAD to determine optimal solutions for column arrangements while maintaining maximal column-free space, meeting IS Code requirements, and ensuring structural integrity. Bentley software enabled the designers to complete the building design and deliver drawings to the architect and developer within one month.