by D. K. Doran, BSc(Eng), DIC, MICE,
Manager, Structural Design Department,
George Wimpey & Co. Ltd
The foundation stone for Isa new town was laid
in December 1963 by the Ruler of Bahrain and
its Dependencies, His Highness Sheikh Isa bin
Shulman Al-Khalifa. The town, named after the
Ruler, will eventually accommodate 15,000 people
in territory won from the desert.
The plan for Isa Town includes as one of its essential
amenities a comprehensive sports complex with a
stadium in which there is accommodation for 11,000
spectators including 5,000 seated under cover in a
modern grandstand recently completed.
The roof structure 416ft 8in × 57ft 6in was designed
in B.S.15 mild steel and checked using an IBM
360 computer. The structure was fabricated in the
UK and shipped piece small to Bahrain. All site
connections were simple bolted joints and erection
of the 145 tons of steelwork was achieved with
unskilled local labour and one specialist supervisor.
The steelwork was assembled into girders, etc on
the ground and then lifted into position using a
LIMA machine with a 100ft jib. Good alignment of
the canopy fascia was obtained by adjustment to
turnbuckles in the 4in diameter ties at the rear of
the stand.
The roof framing is essentially a 45ft cantilever
50 Years Ago
Reprinted from Volume 5 No. 4
June 1969
supported on tapered box stanchions formed of
3/8in thick welded plates and an anchor span of
12ft 6in. To combat corrosion all work was hot dip
galvanized (to B.S.729) using a 2oz per sq ft coating.
Protection of the steelwork was completed, after
using a degreasing agent, by the application of
calcium plumbate, followed by two undercoats and
a gloss finish paint. The terracing is constructed of
precast concrete units which are supported on in
situ concrete crosswalls at 16ft 8in centres.
Alternate crosswalls support the box stanchions.
Design wind pressures for the open backed stand
were derived from the Swiss Code of Practice and
confirmed by wind tunnel tests.
The roof covering and blue covered under lining
were in plastic coated steel sheet fixed to the purlins
by self tapping stainless steel screws.
The architect for this project was E. V. Collins, ariba,
and the author was the engineer.
View of completed grandstand
Erection of longitudinal guides between columns.
British Steel in Bahrain
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