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Acoustics Bursary returns for 2013

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Arup's Acoustics Bursary is a global competition that recognises the importance of further study into acoustic design and engineering.

The Acoustics Bursary is open to students, graduates, post-graduates and people not currently in full-time employment. It provides funding for the applicant to present a paper related to the theme of room acoustics at a conference of their choice anywhere in the world in 2013/14. The award is to the value of US$3,500 and covers expenses associated with attending and presenting at the conference.

How to apply

Applications will only be accepted via theonline application form and will close at 1900 GMT Sunday 28 July 2013.

Applicants will be asked to provide:

Contact details
A recent CV / resume
A 1,000-word precise summary of the proposed research paper on a topic related to room acoustics
Details of the conference you wish to attend and present at.

The competition is open to entries from around the world, but all applications must be in English to be eligible.

The competition winner will be announced here on 22 September 2013.

Designation exhibition space evokes creative thought and collaboration

Wed, 29 May 2013 02:06:00 GMT

Arup and Object: Australian Design Centre, have collaborated on an exciting new project in 2013 which will allow everyone to be their own designer.

Arup's Sydney office and Object have worked on various projects together, most notably on the 2011 exhibition of 'Now and When', a 3D film produced by the Australian Institute of Architects for the Venice Architectural Biennale. Arup and Object designed a creative and sustainable space to view the film. With the help of a wonderful team of suppliers, trades and volunteers, we built something that was rated as 'better than Venice'.

This year Arup has been challenged to transform the Surry Hills based gallery into an interactive venue. Entitled 'Designation', the final concept is part events space, workspace, thinkspace, lab and exhibition. It will be a visually compelling yet practical and flexible space that would also function as a backdrop, a stage, a meeting space, and a source of inspiration.

"As a design focused organisation, we are always looking for the next challenge to stretch the boundaries of the imagination and work on worthwhile and socially useful projects. These are traits we share with Object, and we are proud to continue our association with this great organisation."

- Bruce Kelly, Associate, Arup

Once inside the space, people are invited to leave behind mementos of their stay on the designated route map on the wall or within the cluster of hanging ribbons - already, people are leaving behind business cards and posing questions for future inhabitants to ponder and elaborate on.

This project is to feature in the Sydney Design 2013 event in August and will host creative workshops, fashion design shows, panel discussions, symposiums and corporate events over the duration of the exhibition.

Designation is the brainchild of Tania Milinkovich, Faye Blaisdale, Jelena Ivanisevic and Object. We would like to acknowledge the support of Alex Symes, Alex Hespe, Cameron Heggie, Tim Hunt and Alex Symes from Arup, as well as Bespoke Trading Co. and HillsSVL who have kindly donated their time and resources to make this exhibition possible.

Arup Graduate wins AITPM Young Professional Award

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:30:00 GMT

Graduate Traffic Engineer, Zoe Wilks, has been awarded the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management Young Professional Award for 2013 for Western Australia.

Zoe is a Graduate Traffic Engineer with the Planning team in Arup's Perth office. Zoe graduated from university in 2012 and has already received good client feedback from the Public Transport Authority on her study outcomes.

As the West Australian recipient of the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management's (AITPM) Young Professional of the Year award, Zoe will sit on the State Branch Committee as the Young Professional representative for a period of one year.

"I am very passionate about the traffic and transport industry and I'm excited to represent young professionals within the industry. As a representative of the AITMP State Branch Committee, I look forward to encouraging other young professionals to get involved."

- Zoe Wilks, Arup

"This award recognises Zoe's skills and endless enthusiasm for her work. She thoroughly deserves the accolade."

- Mike Straughton, Perth Office Leader, Arup

Zoe will also be given the opportunity to meet other young professionals from other states and network with a wide variety of professionals.

Vivid Sydney 2013 installations launch

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

RICOCHET, Light Meadows and Bish Bosch: Ambisymphonic are three installations that Arup has contributed to for the Vivid Sydney Festival.

A strong exhibitor in previous years, Arup continues to be well represented in the Vivid Sydney line-up, which has more than 60 light installations stretching between Sydney Opera House and Darling Harbour and runs from 24 May until 10 June 2013.

RICOCHET

Arup collaborated with Frost* on 'an interactive environment through light and sound' installed in the Suez Canal laneway in The Rocks. The piece features an intersecting network of laser beams, using the long narrow form of the Suez Canal to create a green laser web, which strobes on and off combining with the soundscape to create an immersive, experiential environment.

Arup lighting designers and acousticians worked closely with designers from Frost* on this striking installation. ARIA Award winning producer and songwriter Lee Groves, created a custom soundscape for the work

"I'm interested to see how the public interact with and immerse themselves in RICOCHET. I hope they will make themselves part of the experience."

- Tim Hunt, Lighting Designer, Arup

Light Meadows

'Light Meadows' is the concept of MAS Architecture in collaboration with Nocturnal Lighting, and with support from Arup's Tim Hunt.

The installation, consisting of a field of LED up-lit stalks, will be located in First Fleet Park in Circular Quay and allows you to meander through and interact directly with the light.

The 100 light stalks have been designed to sway and wobble to simulate wind through grassy meadows and people are encouraged to pass in and out of the meadows, brushing aside the light strands as they go.

Bish Bosch: Ambisymphonic

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.

Vivid Sydney is an annual festival which celebrates inspiring music, ideas and light and is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The event is best known for its breathtaking light projections onto the iconic Sydney Opera House sails.

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."

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.

ORAT success at Perth Airport Terminal 2

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Arup has successfully concluded delivery of an Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) program at Perth Airport.

Perth Airport's AUD$120 million domestic Terminal 2 (T2) was successfully opened for operation on 2 March 2013, marking a historical milestone as the first new terminal to be built at the airport for 26 years.

Working closely with over 20 stakeholder groups, Arup's local team (with additional support from Dubai) prepared, tested and trialled the building, the people and the processes essential for effective terminal operations.

In preparation for T2's opening, Arup implemented an advanced trial to test the processes for the entire passenger experience, using 250 volunteers from the public to act as mock passengers.

The trial was the culmination of progressive testing of T2's operational readiness over an eight month period. It was also the public's first taste of the new face of Perth Airport and received positive responses from the public, media and client.

Arup is gaining a reputation for being ORAT leaders, having successfully delivered ORAT projects at other airports around the world such as Dubai, Mumbai and now Perth.

For information on the Perth Airport redevelopment program, visit the website.

Celebrating 50 years of design and innovation in Australia

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Friday 5th April 2013 marks Arup's 50th anniversary in Australia, after establishing a presence in the country in 1963, when entrusted with the structural design of Sydney Opera House.

Fifty years ago nearly every Arup engineer across the globe was busy working on a building that would become one of the world's great icons. It was a project few firms considered tackling because of its complexity, yet Arup rose to the challenge and after a group of talented engineers moved to Sydney to complete the design and supervise construction, Arup's Australian practice was born.

While the Sydney Opera House project became a defining one for Arup, in the following decades we have continued to strengthen our presence in Australia and enhance our reputation for innovative and collaborative design. Over the last half a century we have created a strong springboard for the future and together, we will continue to help transition our world to an Ecological Age by 2050.

Arup has designed iconic and heritage listed structures, connected cities through IT and resources infrastructure, designed communities and influenced transport networks across the country.

Peter Bailey, CEO and Chair of Arup in Australia commented: "In our 50 years of operation in Australia we have strived to approach our projects from a different angle, which has enabled us to realise and establish innovations that are now best practice in our industry."

As we celebrate our story so far, we also continue to look ahead, undertaking projects and investing in initiatives that will help transition our world to an Ecological Age by 2050. Arup sees an opportunity to continue to influence the direction of the nation to become more liveable, interconnected, competitive and sustainable.

"We aspire to live up to our tagline, 'we shape a better world', and we are increasingly working with clients to address the challenges from changing climate, depleting resources and the shifting needs of a diverse society."

- Peter Bailey, CEO and Chair of Arup in Australia

With current work encompassing cities, connectivity, healthy people, environment and communities, and resources, Arup is in a position to effect real and long-term change in the way Australia grows.

Arup's involvement in notable projects and milestones through the decades include:

Sydney Opera House
Nab Tower, Melbourne
Brisbane International Airport
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, Sydney
Yulara Tourist Resort, Uluru
Robert Clarke Horticultural Centre, Vic
Subiaco Rail Station, Perth
The Spencer Street Footbridge, Melbourne
Vietnam War Memorial, Canberra
Pacific Highway upgrading, NSW
Cairns Convention Centre
Aurora Place, Sydney
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Adelaide Zoo
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne
Regional Rail Link, Victoria
AAMI Park Stadium, Melbourne
Brisbane Airport Link

Key links:
Arup's story over the years, an interactive timeline: www.50.arup.com.au
ABC's online documentary, The Opera House Project tells the story of the opera house, from concept design and architecture, to engineering, construction and beyond

Australia's longest bridge opens

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The $618 million, federally funded Kempsey Bypass, which boasts Australia's longest bridge, has opened - 15 months ahead of schedule.

Arup was the design consultant for the design and construction phases of the 3.2km Macleay River and Floodplain Bridge. The bridge forms a part of the Kempsey to Eungai Pacific Highway Upgrade Project.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, said the completion of this major project means faster, safer journeys for holiday-makers and is another major step forward in the ongoing upgrade and duplication of the Pacific Highway.

"The remarkable speed at which this new section of highway was built is a tribute to the expertise and hard work of all those involved, particularly the contractors and their many workers," said Mr Albanese. "The scale of this engineering project is highlighted by the fact that the new 3.2km bridge which has been erected over the Macleay River and nearby floodplains now holds the title of Australia's longest bridge."

"During the construction phase the project created some 360 direct and 1,100 indirect jobs", NSW Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay said.

"The completed project allows motorists to bypass Kempsey and Frederickton, saving them both time and money. The Kempsey Bypass is a 14.5km-long, divided four-lane highway with grade separated intersections at South Kempsey and Frederickton," said Mr Gay.

As well as constructing Australia's longest bridge, the project also involved some 1.4 million cubic metres of earthworks and the building of nine smaller bridge structures for interchanges, small creek crossings, local road overpasses and a crossing of the main north south rail line.

Arup provided the civil, hydrology, scour assessments, geotechnical, foundation and bridge design services for this project and the provision of construction phase services.

"Our design included an innovative approach in use of tendered steel tubular piles to eliminate pile caps and significant reduction in driven steel pile diameters required for all 82 pier locations on the floodplain. This innovation alone resulted in a significant reduction in both construction costs and time for delivery"

— James Naylor, Principal, Arup Australia.