Jerman Cheung
East Asia Press Office,Hong Kong
Arup took home two awards at the CIC Construction Innovation Awards ceremony for the creative designs of a fused hybrid outrigger system and Air Induction Unit (AIU).
Organised by the Construction Industry Council (CIC), the award is one of the flagship events promoting the divergent thinking and innovative solutions through new technology application and scientific breakthrough in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, with an attempt to spearhead the sustainable development of the construction industry. The award received overwhelming support from the industry, with 124 entries this year.
The hybrid outrigger system won the first prize in the Construction Productivity category. The innovative design, developed for buildings in low to moderate seismicity area, combines the strengths of traditional steel and concrete outriggers, resulting in a hybrid form using concrete walls, steel bracings and a structural “fuse”. This “fuse” component can dissipate the seismic energy in case of severe seismic shaking, to protect other components of the outrigger system, ensuring the safety of the whole tower. The design was patented in China, and successfully applied in the design and construction of the two 350m high towers in the Raffles City Chongqing in China. Substantial cost savings were achieved through 10% reduction of total steel consumption and acceleration of the construction schedule.
