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Bish Bosch: Ambisymphonic premieres

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:58:00 GMT

May 24 marks the premiere of Bish Bosch: Ambisymphonic, an immersive sonic re-imagining of musician Scott Walker's 2012 album Bish Bosch.

The project is a collaboration between Walker and his longtime co-producer Peter Walsh; multimedia artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard; and Arup's New York-based team of Raj Patel, Terence Caulkins (acoustics/sound) and Brian Stacy (lighting).

The installation, which will run through June 2 at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Sydney festival, centers on an ambisonic arrangement of speakers that have been custom programmed to provide a 3D spatial experience of four tracks on the album. Forsyth and Pollard developed the installation concept and worked closely with Caulkins and Walsh to ensure that Walker's original musical vision was preserved in the final result.

Russell Cole is Green Engineer of the Year

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:10:00 GMT

Russell Cole, Singapore Office Leader, received the prestigious Green Engineer of the Year title at the annual BCA Awards held at Resorts World Sentosa on 16 May 2013.

At the heart of Russell's work lies his fervent belief that passive design is a practical, integrated approach that can make commercial sense without compromising environmental aims.

Viewed as one of the technical leaders in façade engineering and sustainable building design within this region, Russell was one of the pioneers who introduced the idea of environmental performance of buildings to local developers and architects. In 2006, he started the Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) business in the Singapore office.

Russell is a strong proponent that space can be comfortable even without the use of air-conditioning. He is an advocate of implementing passive design strategies which harnesses the surrounding environment to maximise comfortable conditions for an occupant. These designs are low impact to the building and greatly reduce energy consumption. This is most evident in his recent projects gracing Singapore's urban space, such as The Star, Ventus NUS, UTown Residence and other components of NUS University Town, as well as the National Library Building. Many of these projects eventually garnered BCA Green Mark Platinum, Gold Plus and Gold awards.

"The ability to shape a building's design and incorporate passive designs to provide utmost comfort in a tropical climate such as Singapore's is best done from the onset of a project. Only with this early involvement can the real and most significant benefits of a passive design approach be realised. I have been fortunate to work on a number of such projects but these are the exception and not the rule," Russell said.

True to his unwavering passion, Russell wants to see the ecological agenda being adopted within the engineering sector. He believes in an unconventional mindset of achieving energy efficiency without rebuilding, challenging building owners to reconsider their options. Russell persists in his endeavour to build eco-friendly buildings, sharing his expertise through different channels, carving new paths for Singapore to lead the tropics in green engineering.

Jointly organised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore and Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), the BCA-SGBC Green Building Individual Award seeks to accord recognition to individuals across the construction value chain for their significant achievements and consistent contributions in the development of a green and sustainable built environment.

Arup in top 20 of Australia's Top Graduate Employers for 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Arup has joined the likes of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra Corporation Limited and Apple in Australia's Top 20 list of 100 Top Graduate Employers for 2013.

The aim of the Top Graduate Employers list is to recognise those organisations which provide the most positive experience for their new graduates as determined by the graduates themselves.

Responses from Arup graduates in response to the question 'What are the positives of the job and employer?' cited company culture and the opportunity to work on great projects as top reasons they enjoy working at the company.

"Every day I am learning something new in my role. I really enjoy working for a company that gives so much back to its employees and to the community and the environment," one response stated.

Peter Bailey, CEO and Chair of Arup in Australasia, said Arup's graduate program is an important part of the business plan for the region.

"Graduates today want a career with purpose; to work where they feel that they can make a difference. It is important that we provide opportunities for all our staff to learn and grow, to work on interesting projects that give something back to the community, and to be surrounded and supported by strong mentors.

"This starts as soon as our graduates commence work with us and I believe it is one of the main drivers behind our high retention rate".

— Peter Bailey

The Top Graduate Employers list was created from a survey of 2,600 graduates which was conducted in January and February 2013.

The survey is conducted by the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE), the peak industry body for the graduate recruitment and development market.

Arup welcomes investment in infrastructure

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Australia's Treasurer, The Hon. Wayne Swan, handed down his sixth Federal budget at Parliament House in Canberra this week, which included new spending of AU$3 billion over the forward estimates as part of a AU$24 billion infrastructure package.

This funding included AU$3 billion for the Melbourne Metro rail project and AU$1.8 billion for the WestConnex motorway in Sydney. AU$400 million will be allocated to Sydney's F3-M2 link and a further AU$715 million to Brisbane's Cross River Rail project. (For state by state summary read more here).

Arup's Chair and CEO for Arup in Australasia, Peter Bailey, welcomed the investment in nation-building infrastructure and said in a statement:

"Arup welcomes the long-overdue investment in nation-building infrastructure, and particularly the support for city public transport systems. Such investment is crucial to the development of Australia as our population grows and becomes increasingly urbanised.

Having said that, there remains a huge backlog of infrastructure needs in this country and more needs to be done to encourage private sector investment through the appropriate sharing of risk or provision of tax incentives. The draft legislation looks to be a positive step, but much more investment is needed to boost the economy and stem the job losses currently being experienced in the construction industry."

Six Arup engineers win '40 Under 40' award

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Six of Arup's engineers were selected as recipients of Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine's 2013 '40 Under 40' award.

This award is given to 40 building industry professionals age 40 and younger who stand out in all aspects of their lives.

Arup's honourees include:

Hans-Erik Blomgren, Associate and structural engineer in Arup's Seattle office.
Michelle Dionello, senior mechanical engineer in Arup's San Francisco office.
Murat Karakas, Associate and mechanical engineer in Arup's Los Angeles office.
Amit Khanna, senior design engineer and senior sustainability consultant located in Arup's San Francisco office.
Jason Krolicki, Associate and structural engineer situated in Arup's San Francisco office.
Jamey Lyzun, Associate and mechanical engineer in Arup's Los Angeles office.

Candidates were nominated by a professional colleague or mentor and judged based on commitment to excellence in their academic, professional, personal, and community involvement.

"Now in its sixth year, the competition is becoming more intense. Each winner truly deserves this award. Through project management, finding unique engineering solutions, volunteering, mentoring, and much more, these winners are guiding the building and engineering community."

- Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief of Consulting-Specifying Engineer.

The May issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine profiles each young professional, highlighting traits that lead him/her to continued success, recent professional projects, and personal achievements. To read profiles of the winners, please visit www.csemag.com/40under40.

This is the fifth year that Arup has had winners in this annual awards program.

Liquid air could unlock £1bn industry

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Liquid air is a proven energy storage technology that could play a critical role in Britain's low carbon energy future, according to a major new report from business and academic experts.

Arup contributed to the report which reveals that the use of liquid air could increase UK energy security, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and create a storage industry worth at least £1bn pa as well as 22,000 jobs.

The report, published by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures (CLCF), concludes that liquid air technologies could also significantly increase the efficiency of road vehicles, particularly in Britain's fleets of buses, vans and refrigerated lorries.

Liquid Air is a pioneering solution to the problem of energy storage, which captures 'wrong time' energy - such as excess renewable energy produced at night when there is too little demand - and storing it to provide peak time electricity and/or low carbon transport fuel.

The report highlights the opportunity for a nation-wide network of Liquid Air energy storage plants that are charged by surplus energy at night, feeding the energy back into the system when it is needed most during the day. The plants would be built from standard industrial equipment and technologies in which the UK is a world leader.

Such a network could develop into a business worth at least £1bn per year by 2050 and create 22,000 jobs in the grid electricity storage sector alone, and the Government has recognised this as a major growth opportunity for British industry.

"Energy usage and the cost of energy is a concern to many of our clients. Liquid air energy storage has the potential to have a significant impact on industry and we're excited to be contributing to and supporting this important debate."

— Steve Saunders, Head of Energy Storage, Arup.

Liquid air in the short term could:

Strengthen UK energy security: a single gasometer-style tank of liquid air could make good the loss of 5GW of wind power for three hours - equivalent to almost 10% of the UK's peak electricity needs - and help to protect British homes from black-outs.
Reduce diesel consumption in buses or freight vehicles by 25% using a liquid air dearman engine/diesel hybrid.
Cut emissions from refrigeration on food lorries by 80%.

It also raises the possibility of zero-emission Liquid Air city cars filling up at road-side forecourts at a fraction of current fuel costs and with lower lifecycle vehicle emissions than either electric or hydrogen powered vehicles.

The report was launched at a conference at the Royal Academy of Engineering on 9 May 2013. It can be viewed online at www.liquidair.org.uk.

Arup acquires Strategic Economics Consulting Group

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:31:00 GMT

Global design and consulting firm Arup launches a new Economics Consulting offering in Australasia, following the acquisition of Strategic Economics Consulting Group (SECG).

The Economics Consulting team will provide economics and business case capability, with particular emphasis on various regulated markets and in the transport logistics sector.

"Arup in Australasia is excited to enter into this new phase with SECG. We have a long and successful history in planning our communities and this enhanced capability will result in better understanding of developments as a whole - all that influences it, everything it requires to succeed and the likely implications if it goes ahead."

- Peter Bailey, CEO Arup Australasia

Strategic Economics Consulting Group (SECG) is an independent economic and financial advisory organisation servicing both the private and public sectors in Australia and South-East Asia.

"We are thrilled about joining forces with Arup and look forward to providing excellent economic services to a wider group of clients across the Australasia region. The decision to join Arup was made easy by the firm's ability to develop long term sustainable solutions that can be backed by an economic rationale."

- Mark Vassarotti,, Leader of Economics Consulting, Arup Australasia and previously Partner SECG

Founded in 2009, SECG has focussed on the preparation of business cases as well as regulatory pricing decisions. SECG's highly skilled team will add value across the broad range of Arup businesses. Their economic, strategic, regulatory, financial, engineering and commercial expertise and their background in the preparation of business cases will be particularly relevant to the activities of Arup's infrastructure and planning teams.

Our integrated team aims to consider investments, ensuring we maximise benefits for tomorrow and beyond. The team will provide joined-up services to support development and regeneration in cities, towns and rural areas, driving long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The acquisition takes effect from 6 May 2013.

Tottenham regeneration plans revealed

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Haringey Council has announced its plans for the regeneration of north-west Tottenham and has begun a period of public consultation.

The plans span the area roughly between Coombes Croft Library and the former Cannon Rubber factory close to the junction, with the western side of Brantwood Road. It will also include the space around the upcoming Spurs stadium, which will be built next to the current White Hart Lane venue.

Arup has worked with the London Borough of Haringey, the Greater London Authority and local residents over the last year to develop three options for potential change for the High Road West area in north Tottenham.

The proposed plans include ideas for a new public space that links the station, the High Road and the new stadium. This will form a vibrant focal point for the area with new homes, businesses and leisure facilities surrounding the new public space - benefiting the community and making the most of increased footfall on match days, when up to 56,000 fans will flock to the area.

"From upgrading transport systems to reinvigorating currently abandoned open spaces and delivering new homes, the opportunities are considerable and the residents of Tottenham deserve a thriving and flourishing community."

- Jerome Frost, Director at Arup

Arup was appointed in 2012 and led a team - which includes S333, 00:/ [zero zero], Landolt+Brown, Jones Lang LaSalle, UsefulSimple and Space Syntax - to prepare the Tottenham Investment Framework and Regeneration Strategy. The work included development of the investment framework across the greater Tottenham area as well as detailed masterplan studies around key sites like the new Spurs football stadium, the High Street and housing estates renewal.

To view the outline of the three options go to the Haringey Council High Road West Consultation webpage. The consultation runs until Friday 21 June 2013.

World's first off-grid toll plaza

Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Arup has brought to life the ZINARA (Zimbabwe National Roads Agency) Toll Plaza near Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, the world's first completely off-grid toll plaza.

The Toll Plaza's only source of power is derived from solar panels installed on the roof over the plaza lanes and collection booths.

The project is part of the Zimbabwe government's initiative to upgrade the logistics network and support anticipated growth, which will see a total of eight toll plazas constructed and operated across the country. The Plazas will be operated by Intertoll, a subsidiary of Group Five.

Arup was tasked with delivering a suitable off-grid power supply for the plazas in Zimbabwe, and provided civil, structural, mechanical and electrical, public health and infrastructure engineering services.

To demonstrate the viability of the scheme, Arup developed a unique model to simulate expected seasonal generation and daily load trends. This established that solar panels could supply more than 80% of the load needed to power the plaza, with diesel generation provided as back-up.

The plaza operates independently of the electricity grid, reducing its carbon footprint.

"Sustainable traffic management solutions will influence our future heavily so this was the perfect opportunity to develop a concept that would help save valuable energy and reduce energy costs. We are also thrilled to be involved in a project that will aid growth and support Zimbabwe's economy."

— Paul Trewartha, senior electrical engineer and electrical design manager, Arup

The project is part of Arup's appointment with Group Five International - Zimbabwe Branch for the 822km Plumtree to Mutare roads upgrade. Group Five, a Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed company, has operations in Africa, Indian Ocean Islands and selected Eastern Europe countries.

High-performance structural design delivered on 40-storey tower

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:00:00 GMT

The Manhattan office tower for Boston Properties at 250 West 55th Street included New York's first innovative viscous damping system. This reduced steel requirements by 10%, resulting in a cost savings of $5m.

Boston Properties hired architect Skidmore Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) and Arup to design a 40-storey tower that includes office space, a green roof, two podium levels, and two basement levels. Our design incorporated an innovative viscous damping system into the outrigger and belt truss at the crown of the building, the first of its kind in New York. This damping system reduces the building motion during wind storms, and enabled the steel tonnage to be reduced by 10%, resulting in a cost savings of $5m. The integration of seven small viscous dampers into the mechanical space at the top of the building preserved valuable space within the building that would have otherwise been occupied by a tuned-mass damper, thereby maximising rentable space for the landlord, Boston Properties.

Arup utilised Building Information Modelling (BIM) to deliver a highly coordinated and efficient design. We pushed the technology even further on this project by passing the design model to the fabricator, and then reviewing the detailed fabrication model in 3-D, speeding the review process and dramatically reducing coordination problems. We used the technologies currently available to help reach BIM's full power, developing a more efficient, "first-time-right" approach to design and construction.

"Our experience with Arup as structural engineer for 250 West 55th Street has been nothing but positive. The firm's engineering innovations helped us save $5m and gave us more usable space per floor. The degree of coordination achieved with the Revit and Tekla models was extremely thorough evidenced by the low number of RFI's received for the entire steel fabrication and erection process. Arup showed creativity and a real willingness to help us achieve our goals for the design of 250 West 55th Street."

-Robert Schubert, senior vice president of construction at Boston Properties.

This 1mft² office tower is slated for occupancy in early 2014, having just reached substantial completion of the structure and envelope.