News in Brief – February 2015

Designed by Arup, the partially retractable roof of the Singapore Sport Hub is the winner of the steel category in Tekla’s global BIM Awards. A span of 310m makes it the largest free-spanning dome structure in the world. Collaborative design between the architectural vision, venue designers and the structural engineering team using 3D modeling techniques resulted in a highly buildable roof that is extremely efficient, lightweight and sophisticated, says Tekla.

The recently launched FIRETEX FX6000 intumescent fire protection coating from Sherwin-Williams is said to enable drying in one hour, speeding up projects. FIRETEX Project Development Manager for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Rick Perkins, said: “This technology means there is a much faster throughput in the shop, less mechanical handling damage and the potential to save costs on heating in the shop.”

The Institution of Structural Engineers has announced it will host a conference exploring Building Information Modelling (BIM) on 30 April at the Institution’s new International Headquarters in Bastwick Street, London. BIM 2015 will feature talks from innovative contractors whose use of BIM in off-site manufacturing has transformed their approach to projects. It will also present sessions on potential indemnity insurance issues and other legal aspects associated with working in the BIM environment. Tickets are available by visiting the Institution website.

The sky garden topping the Rafael Viñoly designed 20 Fenchurch Street (Walkie Talkie) office building in the City of London has opened to the public. The enclosed zone at the top of Land Securities and Canary Wharf Group’s 160m-high tower is said to be London’s highest garden. Steelwork for the project was erected by William Hare.