The Queens Wharf Skydeck

Brisbane, Australia | Australia | Robert Bird Group
Ez a cikk a következő nyelveken is elérhető
The Queens Wharf Skydeck was designed to become the must-see destination for those seeking spectacular views of Brisbane. Perched 100 meters above the Brisbane River, upon completion, the Skydeck will provide an open-air observation deck and public realm between the towers of the Queens Wharf Development, offering panoramas of the river, South Bank Parklands and city skyline. Comprising four towers spanned by three fabricated steel truss bridges, structure consisted of complex geometry. Using IDEA StatiCa, Dallas Lee, a principal engineer at the Robert Bird Group, and his team gained the precise flexibility needed to model the three-dimensional truss nodes accurately, safely, and efficiently.

About the project

The Queens Wharf Skydeck is constructed from steel and comprises of three spans of 25 m, 30 m and 35 m, bridging between the towers of the development (named IT1, IT2, IT3 and IT4). Two spans (between IT1 and IT2 and IT3 and IT4) are designed with permanent movement joints to allow the independent movement of the connected towers. The IT1-2 span presented a unique challenge. It bridges from the side of tower IT1 from a fixed deck, projecting up to 12 m from the tower’s façade line, requiring a sophisticated articulation joint.

The spans of the Skydeck are assembled and clad at the podium level, then slid horizontally into position via a rail system, before being vertically strand jacked.

Prior to having IDEA StatiCa as a software package, we found designing and detailing very complicated or bespoke steel connections would take either a more conservative approach or we would spend a lot of time doing custom finite element analysis models.
Dallas Lee
Dallas Lee
Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Australia

Due to the nature of the project, the intersection of those nodes where the trusses connect had become complicated. There was nothing software-wise that Dallas Lee and his team had encountered before that covered those sorts of connections without modeling them from scratch in their FEA program, which was unacceptably slow.

Engineering challenges

There are four towers in the project with a sky bridge between towers IT2 and IT3. The main reason for using IDEA StatiCa was to design the complicated truss nodes within the Skydeck between towers IT1 and IT2 and IT3 and IT4.

Due to the level of complexity in and around these nodes, modelling them in traditional FEA software would have taken too long. They found that IDEA StatiCa was ideal for modeling such connections and doing so quickly.

Another unique aspect to the project is that towers IT 1 and 2 have very different seismic responses, so they move differently. This means, if they had locked the decks between the towers, a lot of internal forces would develop. 

To overcome this, they employed an articulation movement joint so the decks can pivot at that point. To achieve this pivot, they used a bearing sitting on a steel corbel inside. This resulted in the need to design very complex bespoke steel fabricated connections in order to achieve this.

Previously, we would do very complicated FEA models, which obviously are quite time-consuming to put together. Whereas IDEA StatiCa makes that whole process a lot faster for us.
Dallas Lee
Dallas Lee
Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Australia

During the project, the profile of the deck required particular attention. Previously, it had been shaped like a boat hull in profile. By introducing a crank in both the top surface and the soffit, this meant it was necessary to have very complicated steel connections, where the secondary beam cranks through the primary truss line.

Dallas and his team were also faced with solving some other very creative connections due to the strict architectural decision in how to do the project. IDEA StatiCa allowed them to overcome all these hurdles and gain confidence in their ability to deliver all the connection designs accurately, no matter their complexity.

Solutions and results

The key takeaway from the project for Dallas and his team was the confidence he and his team felt in their designs. Instead of using a normal FEA model, this confidence was due largely to the testing that went on behind using IDEA StatiCa. 

They also were able to develop a workflow where they could take the member geometry and member forces from their finite element analysis model. They set up a Python script so they could extract the data from Strand7 into the SAF file format as Strand7 does not have a BIM link. This made it possible to import the model into IDEA StatiCa through Checkbot, which was a huge advantage for the team as this meant they could transfer data without loss using IDEA StatiCa's well-documented API.

We had a very swift automation process, which was facilitated by the IDEA StatiCa BIM Links and SAF format import.
Dallas Lee
Dallas Lee
Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Australia

In the past, Dallas and his team either had to be more conservative with their design approach, assessing everything manually by hand, applying documented models, and adapting them for a custom connection. Or if they wanted to detail something highly complex, they would create custom-from-scratch finite element analysis models.

Using this workflow, where they were bringing in the member geometries and all the different load cases and combinations, saved them a lot of time. This help them be confident in their designs, as well as push them a little harder.

For me, the big thing was the time saving in developing these types of connections, and then being able to communicate that to the fabricator.
Dallas Lee
Dallas Lee
Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Australia

About Robert Bird Group

Robert Bird Group is a global consulting engineering firm with over 700 employees across eleven offices. A member of Surbana Jurong Group, they are committed to delivering each client’s vision through the relentless pursuit of engineering excellence across all projects. They offer services across five disciplines, drawing upon their international expertise: structural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, geotechnical engineering (UK and Middle East), virtual design and construction

The firm won the Public Vote category in the IDEA StatiCa Excellence Awards 2023.

Próbálja ki az IDEA StatiCa-t ingyen

Kezdje el a próbaverziót még ma, és élvezze 14 napig a teljes körű hozzáférést és a szolgáltatásokat ingyenesen.

OTHER CASE STUDIES

Roof structure of the AFAS Stadium

Halle des Saveurs

Façade retention construction support

Family home in Massachusetts

Robert Bird Group

Robert Bird Group

Australia
Robert Bird Group is a global consulting engineering firm with over 700 employees across eleven offices. A member of Surbana Jurong Group, they are committed to delivering each client’s vision through the relentless pursuit of engineering excellence across all projects. Detail