MAJOR PROJECT REPORT UK GAMES: Delivering the vision A YEAR TO GO Celebrating the Delivery of London 2012’s 07|2011 Olympic Park and venues UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

Foreword

04 Building the Games How the Olympic Park has taken shape 10 Olympic Stadium Tackling design and construction of the centrepiece venue

16 With just over one year The moment that The project to build the Aquatics Centre to go to the Opening London was announced Olympic Park has been a Sweeping curves and Ceremony of the London as the Host City of the remarkable success and ❝ 2012 Olympic Games, Olympic and Paralympic tribute should be paid to precision finishes ❝ ❝ the construction of the venues and Games in July 2005 is etched on Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) 22 infrastructure remains on time and people’s memories. Almost as soon staff and all those construction within budget. Five years ago we as the President of the IOC finished workers involved who have Velodrome said that the summer of 2011 was uttering the word “London”, the consistently met the challenges set Creating the iconic cycling venue the point when we wanted the planning started – and we are by an immovable deadline and venues available for test events. reaping the benefits of that now. strict budget. They have all played 26 That is exactly where we are with The Olympic Park is already a vital roles in the success of the build Creating the Park the first events lined up for August spectacular addition to the London project that will be held-up as an on the Olympic Park. skyline which has seen a largely example of British construction and How the site was cleared and Success to date has been the underdeveloped area in east engineering excellence for decades cleaned up result of the hard work and London, roughly the size of Hyde to come. It has also been an dedication of the whole team Park, completely regenerated. From excellent advert for the British 34 working on this project – from the clearing and cleaning the site, to businesses that have supplied Other venues staff at the Olympic Delivery constructing state of the art sporting many of the materials for these Media centre, whitewater Authority (ODA) and our Delivery venues and an athletes’ village venues and are now winning Partner, CLM, to the 12,000-strong which after the Games will create a contracts to supply the London canoeing, basketball, water polo, workforce and the thousands of whole new community, this 2012 Organising Committee. The handball. Eton Manor, handball, businesses who have contributed development has been a triumph impact of the Games has reached sailing, athletes’ village to the construction project from for UK plc. Add in some of the most far and wide and many across the UK. The progress is advanced thinking in terms of communities across the UK have 48 testament to the skill and sustainability and it is clear that benefitted, be that through sport, Public art professionalism of the UK’s design, London 2012 has been the catalyst culture or business. engineering and construction Artwork for the Games for change in east London and in the Hugh Robertson MP industries. They have delivered a wider construction industry, of which Minister for Sport 50 world-class performance. we should be very proud. and the Olympics John Armitt Transport Chairman Lord Coe Getting spectators to and from Chair, London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority Organising Committee the Olympic venues

Published by Emap Inform Written & edited by Printed By Part of Emap Ltd Mark Hansford Headley Brothers Margo Cole Greater London House Display Advertising Hampstead Road Design & Production tel: (020) 7728 4523 London NW1 7EJ Andrew Bolton fax: (020) 7728 4666 www.nce.co.uk James McCarthy www.cnplus.co.uk Tel (020) 7728 4540 E-mail [email protected] UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

Winning combination: The Olympic Park Building venues with the Stadium in the foreground the Olympic Games

Introduction By Mark Hansford

In exactly one year from becoming a park that will be used today the world’s finest for not just three weeks of Games but to be a catalyst for the long sportsmen and women term regeneration of East London. will be assembled in Targets to make the project an London, ready to examplar for the industry in terms compete in what is of health and safety, sustainable construction and engaging and billed as the greatest training up a local workforce have show on earth: the all been hit; and all this has been London 2012 Olympics. achieved without busting the “We’ve had some of the best people was a confidence that we wouldn’t.” £9.3bn budget. and best firms in the industry wanting From day one the project has Driving the whole project from start to be involved, wanting to succeed, benefited from seven years of broad Getting the Olympic Park in East to finish has been the Olympic Delivery and wanting to be seen to succeed. political support – a rarity for London and the plethora of venues Authority (ODA), led by its chairman This is an example of the industry rising construction projects and no mean feat around the south east designed, John Armitt, and the ODA’s delivery to the challenge and showing that, given the project got off the blocks built and operational has been an partner CLM. Armitt’s top team and the actually, it has a lot of self-confidence. under a Labour government and a Olympian effort in its own right. CLM team – formed by CH2M Hill, So, even though everyone on the Labour London mayor and is now And, against all odds and public Laing O’Rourke and Mace and led by outside thought we would fail, there heading towards the finishing line expectation, the British construction programme director Ian Galloway – under a Conservative government and industry has stood up and delivered. gelled rapidly and spent two years Conservative London mayor. The main venues are all ready planning, planning and planning some “Even though everyone “It just shows what we can do if and being handed over to Games more to ensure that, once the project on the outside thought you’ve got politicians all singing from organiser LOCOG; the Athletes’ moved into the main four year build we would fail, there was the same hymn sheet,” says Armitt. Village has beaten banking phase, nothing was unexpected, ODA chief executive Dennis Hone, crisis-induced funding issues and is unplanned or unmanageable. a confidence that we who stepped up to the top job from racing towards completion; and the “This project has demonstrated wouldn’t” financial director last year when Park itself has shrugged off its what the industry can achieve if it has John Armitt, chairman, ODA previous chief executive David Higgins industrial wasteland past and unity of purpose,” states Armitt. moved over to Network Rail, echoes

July 2005 December 2006 May 2007 June 2007 October 2007 May 2008 July 2008 London awarded Demolition starts Earthworks Power line Full Olympic Park Construction Construction 2012 Olympic on Olympic Park start on Olympic tunnels planning starts on starts on Aquatics and Paralympic Park completed permission Stadium, Olympic Centre Games and vacant secured Village and

START 2005 START possession of Sailing venue Olympic Park OLYMPIC TIMELINE OLYMPIC

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build them from its share of the “Our job was to be seen as a contingency budget. client of choice” “There was a major issue with the Howard Shiplee, IBC/MBC and the Village,” says Hone. “Both wanted private sector investors, construction director, ODA and both had them lined up before the credit crunch. But bank lending got suddenly more expensive and the loan to value ratio was falling. There was a deal on the table from the banks, but we took a decision that it was not value for money and that there was not enough risk transfer. So we went to government and said it was better if 30k they stayed in the public sector. Maybe Number of people who will it was the harder thing to do, but we have worked on the Park by 2012 grasped the nettle and now the Olympic Park Legacy Company has taken the IBC/MBC to the market and we have got world class property developers bidding for the Village. 6,449 “It would have been easy to take Number of people working on the deal, but it would not have been the Park on the busiest day right,” he states. That a successful outcome was reached to such a potentially project-threatening problem stands as testament to the level of confidence in the ODA. That came entirely through 246ha the strength of team unity throughout Size of the Olympic Park the supply chain, which in turn came from the ODA being an intelligent client, aided by a properly incentivised this view. “Cross party support has And tough decisions have had to be The fact that a solution was found delivery partner that knew its role. been very good and it continues to this made, whether they were ditching the – and one that didn’t push the project “Recognising the role of the delivery day. It is a credit to the parties that no Park’s wind turbine, re-engineering the over budget – is testament to the way partner was an essential ingredient,” cheap points have been scored,” he Olympic Stadium to get costs down the project’s finances have been run, says Armitt. says. But Hone is also clear that this closer to the £496M budget, going with £1.3bn of contingency cash set Galloway agrees it has worked support has been earned by a back to the drawing board on the bid aside from the £8.1bn main pot for, better than he – or anyone else – transparent approach to costs and stage Olympic Park masterplan, well, contingencies. It sounds simple, expected. “What we were told from decision making. delivering £7M of post-Comprehensive but the Treasury-led initiative had not history is that organisations like ours “Our approach of complete Spending Review savings by really been used before. Three levels of and the ODA come in, fence with each transparency has gone with the grain dispensing with the Olympic Stadium’s contingency exist: one for issues within other for while, it explodes, then some- of the system. We have not been aesthetic wrap, or tackling the impact the project, which is handled by CLM; one else comes in and delivers it. suppressing bad news. When an issue of the banking crisis on plans to build one for programme level issues; and Everybody outside expected it, so to has arisen, all along we have been the Athletes’ Village and IBC/MBC one for issues outside the control of prove them all wrong has been clear when the latest possible date to media centre with private cash. those managing the programme, extremely pleasing.” make a decision is, and what the “Discovering that what had been a which is held by government. The Hone says it simply wouldn’t have consequences of not making it are. It dead cert in 2006 was suddenly a Village and IBC/MBC issue went to worked any other way. “As a public has been completely open,” he says. major challenge was a significant government and, because of the faith sector employer there was a risk we “If you are closed, that’s what leads concern. Where were we going to find built up in the ODA, a bold move was would have got bogged down. As to negativity.” the money from?” says Armitt. taken to ditch the private sector and delivery partner, CLM could bring in the

November 2008 March 2009 April 2009 July 2009 July 2009 October 2009 December 2009 April 2010 Sailing Venue Construction Construction Construction First time trial of Construction Stadium cable Velodrome cable complete – first starts on starts on Media starts on ‘Javelin’ train starts on net roof lifted in net roof lifted in London 2012 Velodrome Complex Handball Arena from St Pancras Basketball Arena place place and venue ready and White Water International Aquatics Centre Canoe Centre arrives in 6 mins pools tested 45 secs

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very busy, your budgets are a matter of public discussion, and you’re always in the media. We don’t need that hassle’.” Notably, the project attracted just one bidder for the Olympic Stadium – the Team McAlpine consortium that had just successfully delivered Arsenal’s Emirates stadium. “Our job was to go from there to being seen as a client of choice very quickly. By engaging with industry we largely achieved that and demonstrat- ed UK plc delivering on time, under budget and building some iconic designs,” says Shiplee. Of course, Team McAlpine remained the only bidder for the Stadium – with the rest of the industry effectively scared off by its success on the Emirates – but competition was keen for the rest of the venues. And all have come in Brownfield site: Location of the pretty much as expected. Olympic Stadium before work began “This has been a very efficient project and we are producing very high quality products as a function of how things rolled off the procurement expertise as they needed it. There is no “If you are talking procurement, it is process. We did not buy the cheapest one magic bullet to explain the success about major clients taking appropriate price, but the best value. of this project, but the early decisions risk, getting supply chain involvement “We allowed people to make a were fundamental, including bringing early; the whole attribute that is reasonable margin and we used the in the delivery partner. loosely described as partnering; having whole suite of NEC contracts with very “We also resisted early thinking that a set of common objectives that are set few modifications. We absolutely did we should be a thin client,” he adds. out early and don’t change; having not change the spirit or the ethos. We “We staffed up so we could manage contracts aligned with that set of combined teams, we had an early CLM, but also so we could give them a common objectives; and then warning process and we set timescales clear run at it. They are the programme accepting that the contractor wants to to settle and resolve disputes,” says manager and project manager and we make some money. Do all that and you Shiplee. can hold them accountable for that. have a team with an enlightened And it’s worked: using a target price But we are the people that deal with attitude to issues that occur; early NEC contract the final account on the the government, the mayor, the local warnings are raised and you have a flagship Olympic Stadium is already boroughs and a huge range of other fairly reasonable success in steering settled, more than a year before the important stakeholders.” contracts to their conclusion,” he says. “There is no one magic venue hosts the opening ceremony. This clarity of purpose is also evident Getting the procurement right was “We are clear we want to finish this, through the procurement process. also vital in simply getting contractors bullet to explain the and are settling final accounts as work Infrastructure director Simon Wright interested in the work. “Back in 2006 success of this project, but proceeds,” says Shiplee. who is now leading the ODA’s Learning the industry was incredibly buoyant the early decisions were “And we know they are getting Legacy steering group that aims to and not interested in the Olympics,” settled down the supply chain, because ensure lessons learned from the explains construction director Howard fundamental” we are checking.” Olympics are shared throughout the Shiplee, who headed up the ODA’s Dennis Hone, That’s not to say there have not construction industry (see box) sums public procurement exercise. chief executive, ODA been big risks. Now long forgotten by up good procurement strategy like this: “Contractors were quite clear: ‘we’re most, four years ago the Olympic Park

June 2010 August 2010 December 2010 January 2011 January 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 Start of Olympic First Olympic White Water Construction Velodrome Olympic Stadium White Water Handball Arena Park planting Park flower Canoe Centre starts on Water complete complete Canoe Centre complete and Eton Manor meadows come complete Polo venue opens to public construction into bloom

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“We are clear that we want Learning Legacy to finish this and we are settling final accounts as work proceeds” The construction of the London 2012 closed shop; they want the entire learning legacy project. “Everything Olympic Park and the off-Park British construction industry to that is going live has been peer Howard Shiplee, ODA venues has been a truly exemplar benefit, and intend to make this reviewed and together it forms a project, something that the whole possible through a learning legacy comprehensive library.” construction industry could, and website, due to be launched at the Given that much of what has been should, learn from. ICE in October. It will have best good about the Olympics has already was not a park – it was a part-derelict, practice guides, case studies, been seized on by government for part-industrial badland, criss-crossed by As ODA chairman John Armitt puts it: technical reports, research use in other major programmes, roads, railways, power lines and a “The British construction industry is documents and a whole raft of there is much to be gleaned. bunch of polluted watercourses. the best in the world. Based on this information provided by the project “This project has set some real Remediating 800,000m3 of soil, project, I would find it hard pressed teams to allow others to learn and initiatives running,” says Wright. burying the power lines in two 6km to say it isn’t. emulate what has been achieved on “Yes, the government has major long tunnels, bridging the roads and “Our architects, designers and the Olympics. public sector constraints, particularly railways with 120 new or refurbished contractors are very highly regarded, “It is important to capture what on funding, but our contention is that structures, cleaning up the rivers, and and people will be looking at them has been done – the good and the most of the things we’ve done – building the Park’s own bio-fuelled and our cost consultants and QSs as bad – and then share it for the good whether its about good procure- energy centre and water pumping something they want.” of the profession,” says Simon ment, or pressing for top health and stations was a massive challenge and But Armitt and the rest of the Wright, ODA infrastructure director safety performance – go hand in one of the biggest risks to the whole Olympic team are not making it a and the man now charged with the hand with best value.” project. In effect, 10 years of work had to be compressed into four. “Remediation was seen as one of Park that can move millions of project, exceeding the ODA’s target of the biggest risks on the project because people around during the Games but 350, and more than 1,400 previously you are always concerned about what also be sustainable, long-term links unemployed people have been placed you might find,” says Wright. “And we post-Games. into work. found some of pretty much all of it – “We always had this philosophy to 75% Now, with one year to go, the low level radioactivity, unexploded design for legacy and make the Games Proportion of budget spent on legacy design vision first seeded seven and a ordnance, you name it. work,” says Wright. “If you think of it half years ago is beginning to be “But that’s what the team was there like that, it’s a more straightforward realised. “The thing we should be for – so that when we had unforeseen process to get right.” most proud of is the attention events we were able to deal with it.” Throw in the letting of a DBFO deal to detail and how it has all come That team comprised ODA, CLM, for the Park’s Energy Centre and the together,” says design and regenera- designer Atkins, contractors Bam construction of Britain’s first significant £9.3bn tion director Alison Nimmo, the longest Nuttall and Morrison Construction and black water treatment plant (the Games budget serving member of the senior team, a whole range of Tier 2 contractors. treated wastewater is used for having actually been in Singapore It worked, and the project has blazed irrigation) in joint venture with Thames when Jacques Rogge announced a trail on the sustainable agenda, says Water, and that’s infrastructure done. London’s selection. Wright. Ninety per cent of demolition Since then the Park has seen four “Remediation was “Everyone forgets what this place waste has been reused, over 80% of all years of intensive construction activity seen as one of the biggest was, and if you look back at some of earthworks has been processed, with more than 30,000 workers the old photos a lot of the big decisions treated and redistributed on site – employed so far. Yet nothing has been risks on the project and big challenges were in those early and, with more than 1M.m3 out of the compromised: no-one has been killed because you are always years, but it is now amazing to walk 3M.m3 excavated needing environ- (the industry average would suggest concerned about what you around and see the strength of the mental treatment, that’s some figure. four or five should have been by now) overall design starting to come But the infrastructure challenges and the accident frequency rate across might find” through and to get a sense of place. didn’t end there – there was also the the Park is 0.11 against an industry Simon Wright, infrastructure “What we have done will change small matter of creating a network of average of 0.75. So far over 426 director, ODA this part of London for generations roads, paths and bridges within the apprentices have worked on the to come.”

June 2011 July 2011 Late 2011 Spring 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 Basketball Arena Aquatics Centre All Athletes’ Eton Manor and Olympic Games Olympic Games Paralympic complete and Media Village Water Polo Opening Closing Games Closing Complex accommodation venue complete Ceremony Ceremony and Ceremony complete blocks complete Paralympic

Games Opening 2012 FINISH Ceremony BEGINS LEGACY

8 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Stunning and sustainable stadium

Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium top ring of the stadium was built using will host the athletics surplus gas pipes. The stadium is elliptical, with a long and Paralympic athletics axis of 315m and a short axis of 256m. events, as well as the It reaches a maximum height of 60m opening and closing above the field of play and has a ceremonies. perimeter of 860m. The 80,000 spectator seats are fixed onto 12,000 precast concrete It is located in the south of the Olympic terrace units, supported by 112 steel Park on an “island” surrounded by raking beams. waterways on three sides, which Athletics is particularly sensitive to spectators will cross using five bridges. wind conditions: records only stand if The stadium will have a capacity of there is less than a 2m/s tailwind, 80,000 during the Games: 25,000 while strong crosswinds or headwinds seats in its permanent lower tier, and a makes it harder for athletes to reach temporary lightweight steel and peak speeds. concrete upper tier holding 55,000 So it is really important that wind spectators, which can be removed after speeds are kept below this threshold, the Games. and at an early stage in the design, Facilities for athletes include computation fluid dynamic modelling changing rooms, medical support and was undertaken on various roof an 80m warm-up track. Spectator options to establish the optimum wind services, refreshments and merchan- performance level. dise outlets are located outside the The optimum design turned out to arena on a podium surrounding the stadium. “The design and It is the most sustainable Olympic stadium ever built, containing 10,000t procurement operation was of steel – 75% less than most other with us procuring major stadiums. It also features low carbon early subcontract packages” concrete, made from industrial waste Tony Aikenhead, and containing 40% less embodied carbon than traditional concrete. The Sir Robert McAlpine

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be a roof that covered approximately realise a more sustainable approach to two thirds of the spectators’ seats. hosting the Games. Different support solutions were investigated, including cantilevers, but What are you most proud of? the amount of roof cover and the As well as the significant sustainability elliptical shape of the seating bowl achievements of the project, I am allowed the design team to consider a particularly pleased with how we “bicycle-wheel” roof, which can be believe the stadium will perform for extremely efficient in terms of the ordinary spectators. The experience of materials used and the economics. arrival onto the venue “island”, The design developed with a truss through the “wrap” enclosure into the around the perimeter of the stadium, spectacular but compact seating bowl which is pulled into compression by a will be very memorable and hopefully ring of cables at the inner edge of the quite breathtaking. The views to the roof, and radial cables between the field of play are excellent and the compression truss and the inner ring, stadium feels surprisingly intimate. all of which are in tension. The overall “wheel” of the roof is in equilibrium “Typically it would take Which Olympic event would you and simply needs to be supported most like to watch? from below with any rotation resisted; around one and a half years As a fan of the athletes that compete which is why the columns that support to get from end concept to in multisport events at the highest the compression truss are angled in start of construction, but level, I would love to see Jessica Ennis section and elevation. with the stadium we win Olympic Gold in the Heptathlon. The compression truss is made up of 28 steel sections, each 15m high, 30m achieved this in just over six Q&A Tony Aikenhead, project long and weighing 85t. months” director, Sir Robert McAlpine The 25,000m² roof covering is Tony Aikenhead, project made of 112 pre-shaped PVC-coated How did you build the Olympic polyester fabric panels, approximately director, Sir Robert McAlpine Stadium? 1mm thick, which are clipped to the We began Stage C concept design in cables and tensioned into their final June 2007 and by April 2008 had 3D form. They were fitted by a team of secured the first stage planning 23 abseilers. approval on behalf of the Olympic To ensure that the action is Delivery Authority (ODA). Permanent illuminated to high definition TV piling started in May 2008. standards, the stadium is lit by 532 800k Typically, with a project of this floodlights housed in 14 towers, each Tonnes of soil taken away to nature and complexity, it would take 28m high and weighing 34t. They create the construction platform - around one and a half years to get were lifted into place by a 650t crane enough to fill the Royal Albert from end concept to start of construc- over a period of 14 days in March 2010. Hall nine times over tion, but with the stadium we achieved The stadium was designed to be this in just over six months. Design and flexible enough to accommodate a procurement was fast tracked, with us number of different requirements and procuring major early subcontract capacities in legacy. In February 2011 packages – such as Byrne Brothers for the Olympic Park Legacy Committee the concrete, Tarmac for precast selected West Ham United of the 11km terracing and steelwork contractor English Premier League as the Of drainage Watson Steel – at the end of concept preferred bidder to assume ownership design. Crucially we had the of the stadium after the Games. confidence in our design team, the McAlpine management team and our Q&A: Philip Johnson, lead supply chain to back our ability to architect, Populous control the design development, cost 360 risk, technical challenges and How did you approach the job of Rolls of turf grown in Scunthorpe programme surety. designing the venue? and laid in three days in March 2011 To meet the client brief around The Stadium has been designed to demountability we implemented a ensure that the legacy and post-games significant amount of prefabrication of use were considered from the outset. concrete and steel elements. The The brief also required that the early design and procurement, Efficient structure: The stadium roof is supported from a compression environmental impact of these games plus prefabrication, resulted in the would be seriously considered km stadium structure up to the roof truss running around its perimeter 50 throughout the whole process to The seats lined side by side compression truss being completed

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Centrepiece: The Olympic Stadium with the red Arcelor Mittal scuplture taking shape to the right

PROJECT TEAM within 14 months. pipeline found in a yard in Yorkshire. Which Olympic event would you most By June 2010 the bowl work was The project has been exemplary, like to take part in? Main contractor: Sir Robert substantially complete, the cable net demonstrating collaborative working Men’s javelin final! McAlpine roof and fabric were complete and not only within our own design and fit-out works were well advanced in the construction team but also with our Q&A: Paul Westbury, Architect: Populous west and south stands. client and their stakeholders. Our CEO, Buro Happold Landscaping and external works engagement with the workforce Engineering design: Buro Happold continued unabated, with this being resulted in us all pushing the How did you approach the project? the area where we enjoyed the most boundaries of health, safety and For me personally there’s not much Structural Steelwork: Watson Steel interaction with others working on the environmental performance. you can do to best an Olympic stadium Olympic Park. in your own back yard, and our target Concrete: Byrne Brothers We were faced with a number of What are you most proud of? was very much to win the design challenges in terms of the high targets The fact that the Stadium was handed competition for the stadium. Precast terraces: Tarmac set by the ODA around its priority over two months ahead of time and When you’re passionate about themes of sustainability, carbon within budget and quality, with an sport, and design sports venues for a emissions, waste segregation, equality exemplary health, safety and living, an Olympic Games in your own and inclusion, recycled content and environmental record. I’m extremely city is tremendously special. potable water reduction. The bar had proud that we were able to design and When the ODA went for team been significantly raised at the construct the first modern day Olympic commissions I knew we just needed to Stadium, in comparison with other stadium without the loss of a single life get the old gang together. The three of major projects, but I’m delighted that or a serious accident. us [Buro Happold, Populous, Sir Robert we met or exceeded all of these McAlpine] had just come off the back “When you’re passionate targets. What was the most significant date/ of the Emirates [stadium], and the about sport, and design In particular, the sustainability event on the job and why? ODA was well aware of our team’s sports venues for a living, an successes were significant. The Other than the completion date?! The credentials. Olympic Games in your own embodied energy consumed in “Lights on!” event last December, It went back to the early days of the manufacturing the stadium’s elements which signified that all that had gone Dome, so teamworking and city is tremendously special” was significantly lower than previous before had gone well and we were on relationships were very strong. Paul Westbury, CEO, Olympic stadiums due to the compact track for completion under the lights The brief was very hard because the Buro Happold design, and Watson Steel scored a big of the Olympic Stadium, and the Stadium had to have the unprecedent- success by re-using unwanted gas world’s media. ed capability to change its capacity to

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something significantly more modest, ately of the event and the legacy of and with some pretty big financial “There have been many what comes next. constraints. challenges, but It was a wonderful opportunity to underpinning them all was Q&A: Ian Crockford, project 16ha design a building on an Olympic scale sponsor, ODA the fixed deadline” The area the Olympic Stadium in a very tight site, which was site covers, it is 62.7m high constrained both in the air and on the Ian Crockford, ODA What was your biggest challenge? – half the size of the London Eye ground. It needed a very compact There have been many challenges, and the equivalent to the central solution that was temporary but still but underpinning them all was the span of Tower Bridge looks fantastic and spectacular. fixed deadline. The building is designed in a delighted that we put so much effort The start of the Games was never completely different way to any into it. going to move, so we always had previous venue of this significance. The It is functionally correct, it looks that at the forefront of our minds. bit that costs so much money is not the great, was buildable and was built to a But it also ensured that everyone number of seats, but all the things you very tight budget. was focused and pulling in the 56 put in to support the number of seats right direction. Vomitories, entry points for – things like the media facilities, toilets What are you most proud of? The site itself was a huge challenge spectator access to seating areas and food concessions. There was a certain level of achieve- at the start of the project. It is very We stripped out everything you ment when we handed over the keys compact and surrounded by water on traditionally see to support a building and we’d done something that is very, three sides, so we had to design a very like this and put it onto the island in very different after Beijing. compact venue to fit on the island site. temporary accommodation. In recent history the Olympics had Plus the area was neglected and As a result, the stadium becomes a become something that costs cities contaminated, and we had to 80k pretty skeletal building that is tremendously dear. demolish 33 buildings and take Capacity of stadium significantly cheaper and faster to build If you get these things wrong, it away over 800,000t of soil before and far less complex. costs the city and the country a huge construction could begin. amount of money. What was your biggest challenge? This should be about the athletes Which Olympic event would you most The challenge was to not go down and about human endeavour, and not like to watch? route one – a bland, simple, rectilinear, about building huge buildings. I am a keen swimmer, so to see the 32 steel-framed, clad solution filled with We have delivered similar capacity, 1,500m swum in circa 15 minutes is Separate buildings at podium temporary terraces that looks but with a fraction of the materials, always a thrill to me – I am more than level house spectator toilets temporary and feels temporary. I’m and we are thinking more appropri- 10 minutes off that pace! covering 4,610m2

Taking shape: The Stadium bowl rises from the ground

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The Zaha Hadid- designed Aquatics Swim in Centre is located in the south of the Olympic Park and will be the a sweeping main “gateway into the Games”.

It will host swimming, diving, wave of synchronised swimming, water polo finals and the swimming discipline of the modern pentathlon. It will have a capacity of 17,500 “The team has delivered a during the Games, reducing in legacy unique building with by far success to a maximum of 2,500, with the the most unique field of play ability to add 1,000 for major events. on the Olympic park” The capacity is boosted during the Games using two temporary seating Ian Crockford, stands either side of the roof. project sponsor, ODA Aquatics Centre Inside the centre are two 50m

Flying fish: The sweeping, wave shaped roof is embraced by two massive temporary stands that will boost spectator capacity to 17,500

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swimming pools with moveable floors 462t concrete six-board dive tower was What are you most proud of? capacity, as well as designing to reduce and separator booms, a diving pool built using reinforced plastic moulds, Delivering together and safely. It has long-term maintenance costs. Building and dry diving area. computer cut from a 3D model, been a long and hard road and in the moveable floors, separation The sweeping wave-shaped around a skeleton of steel bars. together the team has kept its sights booms, dry diving-areas and a variety roof, is 160m long and 80m wide at on the destination and has delivered a of changing rooms before the Games its widest point. Q&A: Ian Crockford, project unique and complex building, with by to create the flexibility and functionality It is an innovative steel structure sponsor, ODA far the most complex field of play on that will ensure that the pool is busy weighing over 3,000t and resting on the Olympic Park, some of the greatest and well used by a whole range of three supports, with a striking and What was your biggest challenge? engineering and construction local people and elite swimmers after robust aluminium covering, half of The biggest challenge has been challenges, and an outstanding health the Games. which is recycled. successfully designing, engineering and safety record. The curved ceiling is formed from and delivering a venue that is capable over 30,000 sections of sustainably of being the second highest capacity What does sustainability mean to you Q&A: Stuart Fraser, project sourced Red Lauro timber, and sweeps venue on the Olympic Park during the in the context of this venue? director Balfour Beatty outside the venue and around the Games and converting to the smallest Alongside the use of recycled, external roof supports. capacity venue on the Park in legacy. recyclable and other sustainable How did you build the Aquatics A 250m long, 45m wide land Achieving this unprecedented materials and innovations – such as Centre? bridge, which forms the main entrance transformation, while retaining the the reuse of pool water to flush the We knew from an engineering to the Olympic Park, spans the core elements of the unique original loos – the most powerful sustainability perspective that this building was Aquatics Centre and forms the roof of competition design, and focusing the measure for the venue is its legacy. The going to be extremely challenging, the training pool. investment in the permanent legacy focus of the investment is in the and it’s a credit to everyone here that it Following five months of laboratory building, is a testament to the permanent building, and the use of was delivered on time. and on-site trials, the distinctive and world-class team designing and cost efficient and recyclable temporary The main difficulty was that, unique Zaha Hadid-designed curved delivering the Aquatics Centre. seating stands to boost games-time because of the complexity of the 10M.l Of water in three tanks. 3,200t Weight of roof structure 4 Skeletons discovered and Still waters: A swimmer’s eye view of the Olympic Pool removed from a prehistoric settlement on the site

“We knew from an engineering perspective that this building was going to be extremely challenging” Stuart Fraser, project director, Balfour Beatty Legacy: How the centre will look after the games

NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority 17 UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

Take a dive: The sculptural form of the dive masts have constantly varying sections and are heavily reinforced

building, the programme has been working out how to construct it render applied to the surface, then linear. We had a period of nine months “On major projects you properly. We took lot of time to make tiles. Now that it is finished you can see to prepare the foundations for the usually have some flexibility, sure roof structure was correct, for how amazing the building is. Looking structural steel, then we worked on the but we genuinely could not example the quality of the steel and back across the pool tanks towards the roof structure for nine months, and the welding. dive towers is remarkable – it’s such an while we were doing that we couldn’t start the pool tanks until the That put pressure on the reinforced enormous chasm of space. I’m so do anything else. Only in November roof was up.” concrete structure, which has an proud of it. 2009 could we start building the main Stuart Fraser, amazing 3D shape. The venue has an structure and the pool tanks. Until they project director, Balfour Beatty amazing reinforced concrete structure What was your biggest challenge? were done we couldn’t do the seating. and the majority of the high quality On reflection, thinking through the On major projects you usually have finish comes from a complex shutter detailed design and the erection some flexibility, but we genuinely PROJECT TEAM design made by Peri. method for the roof structure was could not start the pool tanks until the The big challenge with the shutters probably the most important roof was up. We worked with the Architect: Zaha Hadid was around the quality and consistency challenge. The second was recovering architects to improve the performance Engineering design: Arup of the concrete. It was very much like from some of the delays that occurred of the temporary stands. We came up baking a cake and finding the perfect around the roof construction in 2009. with a steel structure that is fully Contractor: Balfour Beatty mix and took a lot of samples to get it demountable and can be reused right. What are you most proud of? elsewhere. Roof covering: Kalzip This was the first time I’ve used Having done something so technically

Beneath the building there are Readymix concrete: London self-compacting concrete, and it is a challenging with a great team of massive transfer structures over the Concrete completely different process, because people – suppliers and the design cable tunnels. There is a tunnel directly you pump from the bottom. team – and an extremely enlightened below one of the roof cores, so we Engineering design software: We used it for the dive towers as client. They’ve been set some tough Oasys used CFA piling from a very low level for well. There’s a tremendous elegance challenges, they set us come tough the foundations. Drainage software: and serenity about those structures. challenges and we’ve delivered. It’s One of the major challenges was Microdrainage Precision is everything in a venue been the complete all round job. the roof, which spans 120m. When we where world records could be set – the Nobody wants to look back and say we were appointed there was still a lot to Steel frame: Rowecord pool really needs to be exactly 50m. could’ve done it better – and I don’t Engineering, Watson Steel do in terms of the detailed design, and The pools are concrete tanks with think we could.

18 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

What was the most significant deposits and high ground/floodwater ensuring that it was technically date on the project? “The venue could be the levels – all had to be understood and achievable and constructible. 18 October 2009, when we strand centre of attention to considered to determine the form of The biggest challenge for the jacked the roof. millions of people – which the key structural components. substructure was to develop the Which Olympic event would you most foundations within a tight budget, and like to watch or take part in? adds pressure!” What was your biggest challenge? with the added challenge posed by I wouldn’t want to take part in 10m Arup design team One of our greatest challenges was the underlying power tunnels. diving but would love to watch Tom need to fix the design of the cores that We selected long-span transfer Daley doing it. support the roof, so that the floors and structures, utilising lightweight fill the “bowl” of the entrance area (or materials, together with state of the Q&A: Gordon Mungall, welcome zone) could be constructed art soil structure interaction analysis, to associate director, Arup distinctive long-span roof was a major around them 18 months later. overcome the technical challenges. and Philip Stevenson, lead challenge for our design team, and we They are 20m high free standing structural engineer, Arup worked closely with Zaha Hadid to structures, which need to support the What are you most proud of? make sure the design could be 3,000t roof structure. The first thing that comes to mind is How did you approach the job of delivered. Handling the complex We used temporary ties to help the how the caps to the cores and the designing the Aquatics Centre? geometry involved in the design for the cores resist the thrust from the roof inclined bearing plinths came together I think we all started with an main roof and the concrete building, arch, and also designed inclined in design, detailing and finally understanding of how fortunate we we made extensive use of 3D core-capping slab bearing blocks to construction on site. were to be involved and influence modelling, with models shared across achieve this. Similarly the dive masts: the the design of a signature building different specialisms. A 15,000t temporary tie was evolution of the design and technical which assisted in winning the Olympics The starting part for the design was installed between the cores, just below solutions, and then the development for the UK. to determine the key constraints of the the roof support positions. of reinforcement scheduling to allow The venue will be the centre of site in relation to the form of the new A further challenge was the analysis their construction. attention to millions of people around facility. The site’s location and and design of the dive masts. The Then there is the complex geometry the globe during the Games – which restrictions due to the existing railway, constantly varying section required that of the welcome zone bowl, the training adds a certain level of pressure! proposed adjacent road, below ground we had to rewrite many of our pool roof which is also a road bridge, The Aquatics Centre is an iconic tunnels and realigned river quay wall software analysis and design tools to the sculptured roof over the external piece of architecture – its stunning, – along with soft surface alluvium achieve the required solution while stair – I could go on! 200m Length of the building, the second largest Olympic Park venue 17,500 Capacity during the Games reducing in legacy to a maximum of 2,500, with the ability to add 1,000 for major events 1,600t Weight of steel in temporary seating stands

Making an entrance: Spectators coming into the Park will sweep past the Aquatics Centre on their way to the main stadium

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Curved air: The timber-clad Velodrome has a lightweight cable net roof that helps make it the Tracking most sustainable permanent venue in the Park the Velodrome

Velodrome

The 6,000-seat Expedition says the concept for the Velodrome sits in the Velodrome was inspired by cycling: “The bike is an ingenious ergonomic north of the Olympic object, honed to unrivalled efficiency. Park and has a 250m We wanted the same application of indoor cycling track design creativity and engineering rigour that goes into the design and that has been designed manufacture of the bike to manifest to be the world’s itself in the building – not as a mimicry of the bicycle but as a three dimen- fastest. After the sional response to the functional Games, the legacy requirements of the stadium.” Velodrome will be A striking double curved roof shape evolved as the form that would best the main hub within answer the needs of the stadium, but a VeloPark that also simultaneously provided the biggest includes a BMX track, challenges – particularly when it came to the roof, and the choice of a cable PROJECT TEAM were resolved by engaging the whole a one mile road net, which lent itself well to the form of the stadium bowl structure below to circuit and over 7km and 130m span, while providing Architect: Hopkins Architects avoid a chunky ring beam. of mountain bike programme and construction safety The wider design and construction advantages. Engineering design: Expedition team was involved in designing the trails, used by elite Typical cable nets support steelwork bowl – which not only Contractor: ISG athletes and the local lightweight fabric and work like a transferred the cable forces, but also tennis racquet, using a grid of cables in Steelwork: Watson Steel supported stadium seating, housed community. tension with a large compression ring M&E plant and carried the façade. This at the perimeter to isolate the net’s Concrete: FDL approach is unusual, as the roof is The Velodrome has a distinct tension forces. traditionally designed as a separate, double-curved roof designed to reflect The Velodrome cable net is not Piling: Rock & Alluvium self-contained object perched on the the geometry of the cycling track. Not typical, and presented two major seating structure. only does this create a striking piece of challenges: the indoor venue needed a Cladding/Roof Cassettes: Wood By integrating roof and bowl, the architecture in the north of the weathertight, heavily insulated roof Newton Velodrome takes full advantage of the Olympic Park, but the lightweight (the building exceeds Part L 2006 structural and material efficiencies that Track design: Ron Webb double curving cable net structure is thermal requirements by 30%); and come from the geometrical strength also extremely efficient, helping make the graceful lines of the building form Cable net roof detailed design: and stiffness inherent in the curved the Velodrome the most sustainable -– combined with the desire to reduce Schlaich Bergmann track and seating. Olympic Park venue. steel usage – required a roof design For the design team, however, the The design team of Hopkins without a large perimeter ring beam. Cable net contractor: Pfeiffer cross-relationships between roof and Architects and structural engineer High tension forces in the cables seating bowl generated complex

22 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

“We built the Velodrome like a clock – starting at 12, with one crew going in each direction” Tim Sullivan, design manager, ISG

1.2M Working hours 1,000 Timber cassettes 94% Of construction waste reused or recycled 15km Of roof cables

structural responses that proved and influence them to help us build it and the ODA wanted us on site in a cable net going one way, a cable net “educational”. sustainably and to the client’s budget. February 2009, so we had time to plan going two ways, and steelwork – and We said we wanted to finish a year and get it right. we did programme, cost, sustainability Q&A: Tim Sullivan, design – even 18 months – before the Games, We built the Velodrome like a clock and materials analysis of all the manager, ISG and we’ve actually beaten our own – starting at 12, with one crew going in options. We recommended that the initial programme. The Velodrome is each direction. The structure has huge ODA and CLM go for the cable option, How did you build the Velodrome? one of the “big five” venues; it was the pile caps, and on every cap there is a which could cut the programme from We started working with the designers one of last of these to start and the first truss that varies in height to take on 118 to 95 weeks and still allow the in June 2008, when we got the Stage to finish, and is the most sustainable. the geometry of the building. venue to be built on budget. C design report – which consisted of six The programme was 118 weeks, includ- The terracing is precast, but every The roof net is formed of two 36mm drawings. When Stage D was issued ing pre-construction. That was one of single unit is more or less different, so diameter cables connected together by we had to get to an initial tender price, the benefits of getting involved early all of the shutters were done in timber. a node. We had to order the cables then, when E/F came out, we had to – we were appointed in June 2008, We said from the start that it was all one year in advance, because 15km of agree the final price – which could not about the track, and we had to look at cable does not just come off the shelf. be more than Stage D. ways of getting the roof on as quickly When the time came, we lifted the The Olympic Delivery Authority “We wanted to finish a year as possible so we could focus on the roof in 40 minutes. The success of this (ODA) wanted a collaborative track. The design team had a desire to project can be put down to a number approach; they wanted early before the Games and we’ve investigate a cable net roof, but it of things, and the cable net roof is contractor involvement, and access to beaten our programme” hadn’t been done before on this scale definitely one of them. our supply chain. For us that was Tim Sullivan, in the UK. When we started working The whole idea of off-site manufac- brilliant – we could help the designers design manager, ISG collaboratively with the design team ture was big for us – for example using by bringing our supply chain to them, we looked at various options, including driven piles, precast terracing, roof

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High speed: Conditions inside the Velodrome have been designed to produce world records

“The design team’s aim panels, rooflights and cladding panels ity of the legacy VeloPark that met all Which Olympic event would you most that could be made months before we of the aspirations of British Cycling and like to watch and/or take part in? was to reflect the efficient needed them. Because we had a long local cycling groups. Initially we met Unsurprisingly, it’s watching track design of a bicycle” lead-in period we could procure a lot of with opposition. cycling in the Velodrome. Richard Arnold elements knowing that when we But by working with the various project manager, ODA needed them they would be there. parties and changing the layout of the Q&A: Ruth Hopgood-Oates, We did a lot of things on this job road circuit and mountain bike trails Andrew Weir, Ed McCann that we haven’t done before when it we were able to achieve a solution that and Chris Wise (Expedition) came to workforce management. In the key stakeholders were delighted with input from the site canteen we gave the with and will provide a fantastic facility Chris Bannister (Hopkins) operatives access to the internet and after the Games. Sky TV on plasma screens – with time What are you most proud of? 23 off to watch England World Cup What are you most proud of? The Velodrome is a great example of Months to construct matches. With two years to go, Sir Working with a group of very talented collaboration and has set the standard Chris Hoy came to ride round the track. professionals that have delivered the for a new generation of buildings that That was very special. best venue on the Olympic Park. are beautiful, good value, buildable and blaze a trail in sustainability. What was your biggest challenge? What does sustainability mean to you As ever, the proof is in the pudding. The cable net roof. in the context of this venue? Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy From the early part of the Velodrome described the Velodrome as “magnifi- What was the most significant date? project, the design team’s aim was to cent – better even than it looked on The day the roof went up. create a lightweight and efficient the drawing board”. A response like venue to reflect the efficient design of that makes us proud. Which Olympic event would you most a bicycle, so sustainability has always like to watch/take part in? been at the heart of the project. The Which Olympic event would you most Table tennis – I used to play as a kid. lightweight cable net roof, water like to watch or take part in? saving fittings and collection of Most of our team are cycling fans, and Q&A: Richard Arnold, rainwater, the use of abundant even the ones that aren’t have been project manager, ODA daylight and almost entirely natural caught up in the buzz surrounding the ventilation, have helped create a highly Velo Park. I think we’d all love to see What was your biggest challenge? efficient building and one of the most Victoria Pendleton or Sir Chris Hoy Sorting out the design and deliverabil- sustainable venues on the Park. doing a sprint finish to win gold.

24 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Creating a new landscape

Olympic Park

When the International Q&A: Simon Wright, director of Olympic Committee infrastructure and utilities, ODA announced that London What was your biggest challenge? had won the right to The initial challenge was to pin down stage the 2012 Games, the baseline scope and budget. the site earmarked for Securing the very significant private sector finance in the combined cooling the Olympic Park was heat and power plant and the other still occupied by a utility concession contracts was also a myriad of businesses great milestone. The legal negotiations housed in almost 200 leading towards closing these deals were tortuous but ultimately buildings. successful, I am pleased to say.

The full legacy of centuries of industrial What are you most proud of? activity on the site was not fully Most attention is, quite naturally, on understood; and the detailed planning the venues, but the completion of the process was just getting underway. contaminated land treatment, And yet, the London organising infrastructure and utilities has provided committee had promised to deliver the the backbone for not only the Olympic most sustainable Games ever. and Paralympic Games but also for the Since then, the site has been future legacy development. transformed. Gone is the dereliction, I am particularly proud that we and in its place is a 246ha parkland managed to design the works to criss-crossed by new roads and bridges, provide for both phases with only threaded through with waterways, and alive with trees, plants and wildlife habitats. “Most attention is on the The ODA has managed this venues, but completion of transformation, appointing Atkins as the land treatment, the project manager, and dividing the infrastructure and utilities main contracts up into three tranches – remediation, bridges and highways, has provided the backbone” and landscaping – as well as procuring Simon Wright, infrastructure Crowing glory: Looking west across the Park to the a green “energy centre” and moving and utilities director, ODA Olympic Stadium with Canary Wharf in the background power lines underground.

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minor modifications post Games, so the investment only needs to be made once.

What does sustainability mean to you in the context of the Park? There were many aspects of the infrastructure works which were vital to the achievement of the sustainabil- ity targets. The design of the utility works was clearly central to the reduction in carbon emissions by 50% and reduction in consumption of potable water by 40%. Another central element was the reuse of demolition waste within the follow-on works. Less than 5% of all In bloom: Trees blossoming in the Parklands area of the Olympic Park demolition waste was taken off the site, and the vast majority of treated contaminated soil was re-used on the park following soil washing.

Which Olympic event would you most like to watch and/or take part in? I love all sport, so it is difficult to choose. I was lucky enough to see the 100m final in Beijing in 2008, so that evening will take some beating, but I would love to see some of the finals in the Velodrome. The venue is absolutely spectacular and the atmosphere, I am sure, will be electric. To be honest I xxxxxxx: xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx would be delighted to see any event! xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx REMEDIATION Winning through: Trials proved that planting in coir matting would be best Before any of the new venues could be built the Olympic Park had to be transformed from a polluted, PROJECT TEAM post-industrial wasteland into a clean, clear site ready for construction. This Project manager/designer: involved demolishing 190 buildings, 2.1M.t Atkins relocating four buildings in their Contaminated soil cleaned entirety, 2,700 boreholes, trial pits and Remediation contractors: window samples, and treating more Morrison Construction (North than 2M.t of contaminated soil. Park), BAM Nuttall (South Park) The sustainable element of London’s Olympic vision included 2,700 Bridges and Highways contractors: keeping as much material on site as Skanska (Lot 1), BAM Nuttall (Lot possible, and remediating it on site for Number of boreholes, trial pits and window samples 2), Balfour Beatty (Lots 3 & 4) re-use. For the demolition the ODA set a target that 90% of materials should Landscaping and Public Realm be reclaimed, and on the remediation “The design of the utility contractors: BAM Nuttall (North side the team committed to keeping Park), Skanska (South Park) 80% of soil on site. works was central to In the end, 98% of demolition reducing carbon emissions Aggregate supply: Aggregate materials were recovered, and the by 50% and reducing Industries challenging clean-up targets were also met. potable water use by 40%” Engineering data management: As the consultant managing the Simon Wright, infrastructure Bentley ProjectWise enabling works, Atkins has acted as and utilities director, ODA project manager and designer for the remediation, which was split into two

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the north of the A12 above a reinforced concrete jacking slab, which transferred the jacking force into a reaction wall. Jacks were located at the back of the box and at intermediate jacking stations at the joints, with a jacking capacity at each location in excess of 5,000t. During the drive 5,000m3 of material was excavated, over 90% of which was mined mechanically using excavator-mounted rotary cutting heads. The jacking phase took 28 days of 24-hour working, and the underpass was successfully manoeuvred to within 25mm of its design position with a First aid: A ‘soil hospital’ was set up to clean the most maximum vertical displacement on contaminated soil surface of the A12 of 65mm. The original scope of Bam Nuttall’s roads and bridges contract included 5km of loop roads and their associated contracts, with Bam Nuttall carrying the ODA’s 95% re-use target. deep and shallow drainage networks, out the work in the south of the Park We also set up our own site “This was a complex numerous outfalls, five permanent and Morrison Construction in the laboratory to test soil samples, which and challenging project, bridges across the waterways, one north. Both firms used a variety of gave a fast turnaround that speeded due to the interfaces temporary bridge, an outer perimeter techniques, including bioremediation, up the process of deciding on the right fence encapsulating the southern half soil washing, chemical and geotechni- form of soil treatment. with the waterways and of the Olympic Park, and a major cal stabilisation. the railways” underpass beneath the Northern BRIDGES AND HIGHWAYS Richard Prime, Outfall Sewer Barrels. Q&A: Richard Prime, project Before work started the Olympic Park project director Bam Nuttall Later additions to the contract director, Bam Nuttall site was made up of fragmented included a bridge linking the Stadium pockets of land, with poor connections and the warm-up track for the athletes, How did you approach the between local communities. a temporary bridge that crosses remediation of the South Park? The programme to build new Stratford High Street, and three more We commenced demolition and structures, bridges and highways has underpasses. remediation in 2006. Our work created new connections across the “This was a complex and challeng- included the main stadium remedia- Olympic Park that will leave an open ing project, due to the interfaces with tion and earthworks, which comprised and accessible area in legacy. the waterways and the railways, as 460,000m3 of excavation and The infrastructure project was well as working adjacent to other associated remediation in 20 winter divided into a number of contract contractors’ boundaries,” says Bam weeks from November to March. We packages, which included the Nuttall project director Richard Prime , handed over to the stadium contractor construction of more than 30 new who adds that communication was three months ahead of programme. bridges and underpasses. 30 vital to ensure that different contrac- In total we excavated 1.3M.m3 of The largest of these contracts New bridges and underpasses tors’ programmes were aligned and spoil and placed 1.1M.m3 of fill to create went to Balfour Beatty, Skanska were built for the Park work impacts well understood. the required landform. and Bam Nuttall. Skanska’s contract in Balfour Beatty landed two major We established two separate soil the north of the Park included 5km of infrastructure contracts: Lot 3 – rail treatment plants and a treatment roads, two land bridges, one road overbridges, which included three land centre that included three soil washing bridge and two underpasses, included bridges, two road bridges and plants with a combined capacity of Underpass U01, running beneath the 3,500t retaining walls; and Lot 4 – the main 7,000m3 per week, treating a total of busy A12, to connect the training area Weight of one of an underpass stadium area bridges, which included 620,000m3 of material. Also in the with the stadiums. which was jacked into position one road bridge and four footbridges. centre was a soil stabilisation plant Skanska proposed and developed a The contractor engaged consultant with a capacity of 2,000m3 per week, scheme to construct the 50m long x Tony Gee to design the six temporary which treated 30,000m3 in total, and 11.5m wide x 8.05m high underpass bridges providing access to the bioremediation treatment beds that using jacked box techniques to Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, and were used for 25,000m3of material. minimise disruption to the main the team decided to go for a simple, In all, 620,000m3 of contaminated arterial route into London. 45ha uniform design that would reduce the material in the south of the Park was The 3,500t reinforced concrete box Area of wildlife habitat created cost of deconstruction when the treated for re-use on site, exceeding was constructed in three sections to within the Olympic Park bridges come to be removed after

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the Olympics. seating, frog ponds, loggeries, habitat that will not only provide a The template for the footbridges “The wet woodlands, wetlands, woodlands, tree-lined backdrop for the Games but will form a was a steelwork single span bridge ponds and river banks have footpaths and the largest man-made lasting legacy beyond 2012,” says supported on concrete pile caps over advanced superbly over wet woodland in the UK. Vaughan. CFA piles, with some minor variations The Park will boast 4,000 new This year will see the rivers and for diff erent spans and heights. The the last 12 months with very 4m-7m high semi-mature trees, over wetlands adjacent to the Athletes steelwork is covered with easily few plant failures” 2,000 of which have been grown in Village and in the South Park being removable precast concrete slabs and Mike Vaughan, Atkins Hampshire and already planted. These planted, including the 600m wetland timber decking. principal engineer include wild and bird cherry, ash, hazel, alongside the Aquatics Centre, where a The spans are all around 43m, but white willow, crack willow, alder, reinforced reed mat is being used to widths range from 11 to 28m, and two aspen, holm oak, English oak, rowan, counter the eff ects of boat wash and of the footbridges had to take lime, fi eld maple, sweet gum and silver scour. Once the wetland is installed, additional ambulance loading. event in the pool, where we’ve been birch. the temporary sheet pile wall that lines helping prepare the roof for the last The Park has seen an extensive the river will be cut down to reveal the Q&A: Neil Farmer, executive three years. transformation in the last 12 months. 8m wide margin and widen the director, Tony Gee and Partners Summer 2010 saw the installation of waterworks river beyond its industrial LANDSCAPING/PUBLIC REALM the wetland plants in the North Park – canalised form. The result will be a What was your biggest challenge? When the Games are over, 101ha of a project that wasn’t without its rural landscape of much-needed green Producing economical designs that the site will become the Queen challenges, according to Atkins space in this once-neglected part of could be built on a congested site close Elizabeth Olympic Park – the largest principal engineer Mike Vaughan. east London. to other structures, whilst catering for new urban park in the UK for over a “The lack of rainfall throughout the As had previously been done with the requirement of the Olympic Games century. summer created a tough environment the remediation contracts, the Park and being suitable for incorporation The southern section is being turned for the immature plants, and the River was divided in two for the landscaping within the post-Games transformation into a “festival” park, with riverside Lee was being held at an artifi cially low work, with Skanska winning the works. gardens, wildfl ower display meadows level to accommodate other riverside contract for the South Park and Bam and walking and cycle paths along works,” he says. As a result the wetland Nuttall the North. What are you most proud of? restored and previously inaccessible features had to be irrigated every day. Skanska’s contract includes Producing designs that were not only waterways, as well as areas for Over the winter, however, the North 27,000m of soft landscaping and functional but could be built safely, markets, events, cafes and bars in Park wetlands have blossomed into a 200,000m of hard landscaping. In economically and maximised the use legacy. lush, dense environment, with conjunction with subcontractor of recycled materials. The north uses green techniques to common reeds standing nearly 2m tall Willerby the fi rm contracted out manage fl ood and rainwater, and will – well beyond what designer Atkins Palmstead Nurseries to source, Which Olympic event would provide quieter public space and had hoped for after only one year on germinate, culture, harness and grow you most like to take part in ? habitats for existing and rare species, site. 30,000 plants from all corners of the When golf is re-introduced into the from kingfi shers to otters. “The wet woodlands, ponds and world sourcing seeds and cuttings from summer Olympic Games in 2016, Tony Within this area a former landfi ll site river banks have advanced superbly far and wide to meet the demanding Gee would love to represent Team GB. has been remediated to create a over the last 12 months with very few brief. Unfortunately this day is a fair way off . wetland bowl with 15,000m of plant failures, and the design has Skanska identifi es “change – and So we’ll save our strokes for a team riverside spectator lawns, timber created a viable and sustainable the management of it” as key to the 4,000 Number of new, semi-mature trees planted in the Park

“The lack of rainfall throughout the summer created a tough environment for the immature plants, and the River Lee was being held at an artifi cially low level” Mike Vaughan, Post Games: How the park will work in legacy Atkins principal engineer

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wetlands and ponds to create a central Materials Supply feature.

What was your biggest challenge? Understanding how the river system The ODA specified at the outset the products supplied through the worked, which meant examining the that 50% of all materials used Olympic Park railhead have saved way water flows towards the Thames on the Olympic Park construction over 100,000 vehicle movements. and measuring velocities. should be brought on to site using While the majority of aggregate We also had to predict how the river sustainable transport – ie by rail or materials have been delivered to would behave after the construction of water. Aggregate Industries, which the Olympic Park by rail, some of a new lock at Three Mills Island: we won supply agreements with the the waste has been taken away knew the Lee would become ODA for aggregates and ready-mixed by water. tide-locked during high tide but we concrete, brought in 90% of After a new lock was constructed didn’t know how much. aggregate for both agreements at Three Mills in 2009, 350t freight Factors like this could potentially by rail. barges were able to access the Park affect many aspects of the rivers on the At the height of construction up to to deliver construction materials in site – the Park layout, the drainage, Sustainable: 50% of materials 24 trains per week were delivering were brought in by rail and water and carry waste out. the wetlands and ponds, and the river aggregate products to the Olympic Aggregate Industries modified a bank restoration. Park, each carrying 1,200t. barge to transport containerised Our solution was to undertake To date over 1M.t of aggregate fill well as aggregates for over waste, and containers were loaded computer modelling of the river, materials have been supplied to the 400,000m3 of ready-mixed concrete. onto the barge at a temporary wharf looking at daily flows and tides and contractors on the Olympic Park, as The company has calculated that near the Aquatics Centre. then confirm the analysis over the following 12 months, taking recorded level, tide and flow data and passing it through the hydraulic model. project’s success, which encompasses different bits were working landscapes. The range of fluctuating river levels everything from challenging previously We wanted to set new that we identified led to the need held buildability preconceptions to standards and create a What does sustainability mean to you to select plants and design the changing the scope of works – includ- park to put Great Britain – in the context of the park? wetland features to cope with these ing the decision to position the 130m Creating new public green space and conditions – or to limit them through high ArcelorMittal Orbit scuplture on a the inventors of the public wildlife habitats out of former clever design. concourse that the contractor was park – back at the industrial land. Our ecologists tested various plant about to build. forefront of park design” Building a park that manages and species for growth performance, BAM Nuttall project director Richard utilises rainwater and flood water and trialling them at different elevations Prime says one of the main challenges John Hopkins, parklands and is designed to deal with the increased and with different planting techniques. in the North Park was phasing work to public realm sponsor, ODA temperature and wind associated with The outcome was a solution of integrate with other projects. climate change. installing plants in a coir mat, which “In total we planted 1,400 trees and Creating and encouraging traps sediment from the tide and 350,000 wetland plants, and our legacy. We also wanted to set new biodiversity, including specific habitats prevents the plants being washed highlights to date include the finished standards and create a new kind of aimed at specific targeted species, and away or swamped. landscape of the wetland bowl, and park to put Great Britain – the leaving a legacy for all the existing and planting the last semi-mature tree in inventors of the public park – back at future communities to enjoy for What are you most proud of? May 2011,” he says. the forefront of park design. hundreds of years. The efforts and collaborative working The soft landscaping is now of all parties during the design and substantially complete and, slowly but What are you most proud of? Q&A: Mike Vaughan, construction of the wetlands. This surely, the vast 2012 park is starting to Attracting an A-team of UK and principal engineer, Atkins enabled the experts to innovate, resemble something more than just a world-leading landscape and garden integrate and operate in an unrestrict- construction project – a glimpse of designers, horticulturists, soil How did you approach the job of ed way. what it will be like in Games time and specialists, ecologists, tree and plant transforming the river edges? beyond. growers, and seeing their shared Slowly. The prospect of a brief with Which Olympic event would you most commitment to creating this very such vast scope was exciting but a little like to watch and/or take part in? Q&A: John Hopkins, parklands special park. daunting. I’d most like to watch track cycling in and public realm project sponsor, We invited members of the public We started by modelling the hydrau- the velodrome – partly because we ODA for a picnic in the park and took them lics of the river, which gave us a better have a good chance of winning, and on a walk in the just-completed understanding of how the water partly because the building itself is What was your biggest challenge? northern half. behaved, and then worked in magnificent. Creating a park that delivers a green I asked one or two of them what collaboration with the landscape As for taking part, I’d enjoy an and colourful atmosphere for the they thought of it – they loved how the architects to conceptualise how we attempt at the white water canoe Games and can be quickly and simply park looked and felt, but more could integrate the rivers into the course, although perhaps as a river transformed into a new public park importantly, they really loved learning masterplan. The result was a model for engineer I might be a little too that works for people and wildlife in about how it worked, and that all the restoring the rivers and surrounding analytical of the hydraulics involved!

32 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 The world is watching

Media Complex London calling: The media centre includes two massive buildings for journalists and a transport hub

More than 20,000 the thousands of lucky ticket holders. a project with such a significant safety journalists will be With it, 4bn people will get to join in. agenda. With an accident frequency Broadcast deals make up a significant rate of 0.04, we are among the 107 based at the main proportion of Games revenue, so this is leaders on the Olympic Park and Apprentices employed media complex in the the one building that we have to get industry leading in comparison with a north west corner of right. UKCG average of 0.35. We applied for detailed planning the Olympic Park at permission in February 2009, with What was your biggest challenge? any one time during start on site just a month later. We Getting 58 massive air handling units the Games. were initially working from planning onto the three-storey cantilever that 12km drawings rather than detailed design, runs along the length of the IBC. The Total length of ductwork but this formed the basis of a project units weighed several tonnes each and The £300M complex consists of two that was born out of partnership and had to be winched carefully into place main buildings: the 56,000m2 built on collaboration. by crane. International Broadcast Centre (IBC) With 50 Tier 2 contractors and 50 and the 30,000m2 Main Press Centre Tier 3 contractors, plus a host of What does sustainability mean to you (MPC). specialist designers, it was essential to in the context of this venue? 100% The IBC can be split into different develop effective and efficient ways of The IBC and MPC are innovative responsibly sourced timber configurations depending on market working. buildings and incorporate technology demand after the Games, while the We met tough targets to produce that will provide a sustainable facility BREEAM Excellent-rated MPC will offer a quality project built using lean during and after the Games. flexible office and commercial space construction techniques and Their design will deliver substantial beyond 2012. within challenging environmental water savings, through rainwater PROJECT TEAM Also within the complex is a and diversity parameters. collection facilities and the extraction Design & build contractor: 12,000m2 catering village, which will I am proud to say that, with our of underground water through bore Carillion serve 60,000 meals around the clock, contractors, we have gone above and holes. and a 200m long high street with beyond the targets and we are on Additionally, the MPC will have a Architect: Allies & Morrison shops, banks, newsagents, travel course and within budget to complete brown roof, and there are plans for agents and a post office. There will also this month. photovoltaic cells to be installed on the Engineering design: Buro Happold, RPS be a temporary press conference room The 56,000m2 IBC, which has room MPC to deliver renewable energy to that can cater for up to 700 journalists to park five jumbo jets on the ground the Park. The MPC will also encourage at a time. floor alone, was handed over in April wildlife through the use of bird and bat Media will also be able use the ready for fit-out. boxes. “Broadcast deals make up a Media Transport Mall – a multi-storey There have been a lot of hurdles to car park with a coach drop-off, car overcome. With just two entrances for What was the most significant event significant proportion of parking, accreditation and security. the whole park, the logistics of labour on the job and why? Games revenue, so this is transportation into and around a high The most significant event was erecting one building we have to get Q&A: Tony Coyle, project director, security environment was a significant the International Broadcast Centre Carillion challenge, made all the more frame in nine weeks. right” interesting by a constant stream of This was achievement that attracted Tony Coyle, project How did you build the media centre? visitors, inspections and tours. appreciative comment from our peers director, Carillion Without the Olympic Park Media Hub In 45 years in the construction on the Olympic Park and set us up for the 2012 Games would only be seen by industry I have never been involved in the rest of the project.

34 NCE in partnership with Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Wrapping it all up

Basketball and Water Polo

Creating tension: The Basketball Arena is shrouded in a PVC membrane

The Basketball Q&A: Richard Arnold, Arena was the project sponsor, ODA Water Polo venue fourth Olympic Park What was your biggest challenge? venue to be completed I took on the project when it was The 5,000-seat Water Polo Arena is and is one of the halfway through construction, so the a temporary venue, easily main focus was on ensuring it was distinguishable by its silver wrap and largest temporary successfully delivered. The biggest an infl atable roof made from venues ever used in challenge was making the fourth recyclable plastic. The wedge-shaped largest venue on the Park entirely building rises from 12m to 25m, and an Olympic Games. temporary and capable of being contains a 37m competition pool completely dismantled after the and a warm-up pool. It will stage the It will stage the basketball preliminaries Games. We don’t believe that this has men’s and women’s water polo and quarter-fi nals, wheelchair ever been achieved before for a venue competitions during the Games, and basketball, wheelchair rugby and the of this size, and the International will then be taken down, with handball men’s quarter-fi nals, all Olympic Committee is now very keen to elements reused elsewhere in the semi-fi nals and medal matches. see this model being rolled out in future UK. Construction incorporated The arena was built by a Games. materials available through the collaboration of companies which were rental market to promote reuse and brought together to deliver diff erent What are you most proud of? reduce construction waste. down at the end of the useful life of aspects of the bespoke venue, from the The whole team is very proud to have the building and fed back into the 1,000t steel structure to the 12,000 delivered a unique temporary venue Q&A: Andrew Best, supply chain. black and orange seats – representing that still provides a “wow” factor when group director, Buro Happold the colours of a basketball. you walk inside. What are you most proud of? It was delivered through a series of How did the design team approach Working together with the architect package contracts, with the Olympic the Water Polo venue? to come up with a few deft touches Delivery Authority’s delivery partner PROJECT TEAM With a great deal of excitement and to turn a cost eff ective temporary CLM acting as principal contractor. commitment. The team had a great building into a very nice piece of The venue is wrapped in 20,000m2 Structural engineer: opportunity to design a building that architecture. of recyclable white PVC, with the Sinclair Knight Merz was going to be seen on the world tension created by stretching the fabric Architect: Wilkinson Eyre/KSS stage, that had to function perfectly Which Olympic event would you over three diff erent variations of steel Principal contractor: CLM, and look great, yet we had to do it most like to watch or take part in? arched panels. Structure contractor: Barr within a budget appropriate for a Water polo of course! During the Games, the membrane Construction temporary venue. can be used as a canvas onto which an Seating: Slick Seating PROJECT TEAM artistic and innovative external lighting Membrane cladding: Base What was your biggest challenge? Architect: David Morley Architects design can be projected. M&E: Mitie Enclosing a large volume of space in Engineering design: Buro Happold After the Games the building will be Steel erection, toilet blocks and a very effi cient way, using Main structure: ES Group dismantled and elements potentially internal fi t-out: Volker Fitzpatrick components that could be taken Substructure: Jackson used at other UK and overseas events.

36 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 To the manor born

Eton Manor

Facilities at Eton cladding, precast concrete seating Manor are terraces, exposed concrete with a woodgrain effect finish, and a mix of being built on a site roofing types, including sustainable that is steeped in brown, single ply and paved. sporting history. Q&A: Richard Arnold, project The biggest challenge was the level of PROJECT TEAM sponsor, ODA transformation and integration In the first decade of the 20th century required for each of the phases. Architect: a community sporting facility was What are you most proud of? The challenging ground conditions Stanton Williams established on the site, followed by the The site has a long and colourful on the site required a variety of Eton Manor Boys Club, which gained a history of sport, and I am proud to foundation solutions to suit each Main contractor: reputation as an elite sporting have been part of securing the future different type of structure, including a Mansell Construction Services association in east London. of this historical site with a mixed sport permanent sports building, temporary During the Olympic Games Eton tents for the swimming pools, and Civil/structural engineer: Arup Manor will be an aquatics training large temporary spectator stands. venue, including three Olympic-size “The site has a long Drainage software: Microdrainage swimming pools, a synchronised colourful history of sport, What are you most proud of? swimming pool and a water polo. and I am proud to have been The permanent building is During the Paralympic Games, it will a favourite. The naturally ventilated host the wheelchair tennis part of securing the future of concrete and timber structure uses competitions with temporary seating this historic site” recycled and sustainable materials to for 10,500 spectators. Richard Arnold, create a functional yet beautiful 3m It is the only new purpose-built project sponsor, ODA building. Height venue has been raised permanent Paralympic venue to be from existing site levels built in London Which Olympic event would you The site houses five temporary most like to watch? swimming pools, which have been facility for many more years to come. The design team are all very keen to designed such that the plant and watch a wheelchair tennis event. The structure can be dismantled and split Which Olympic event would you opportunity to soak up the 5,000 to form smaller pools. most like to watch? atmosphere in the venue we’ve These can then be used at another Watching track cycling in the designed would be fantastic. Seat main show court is entirely site in the future. Velodrome would be top of my list, but temporary. It was constructed within the legacy hockey bowl After the Games it will be it would also be great to see Q&A: Graham Beach, senior transformed into a hockey centre with wheelchair tennis during the project manager, Mansell two competition pitches, a tennis Paralympics at Eton Manor. centre with four indoor and six outdoor What was the biggest challenge? courts, and provision for five-a-side Q&A: Joanne Lamour, project One of the most significant challenges football pitches. manager, Arup entailed planning the logistics for the 112 The building has a reinforced delivery of 10, 42m long glulam Paralympic athletes will compete for concrete frame, red cedar timber What was your biggest challenge? beams, weighing 8t. six medals in wheelchair tennis

38 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Copper challenger

Handball Arena

The 6,500-seat Bright thinking: A natural lighting Handball Arena has system feeds daylight into the venue been designed and via 88 rooftop sun-pipes constructed to ensure a straightforward transition into legacy as a flexible, sustainable multi-use sports and entertainments arena.

Events being staged at the venue include the men’s and women’s preliminary stages and the women’s by strip. The process took some time as Which Olympic event would you most on site continued, we faced a quarter finals of the handball it needed to be perfect. like to watch? construction sequence obstacle that competition, the fencing discipline of would determine the success of the the modern pentathlon, and goalball What are you most proud of? Goalball – a sport played by blind project: a late change to the Stage D during the Paralympic Games. I think my proudest moment was at athletes that was devised in 1946 to design forced a rethink with regard to Designer Arup says its mantra for project completion – when the keys to help the rehabilitation of visually the erection of the roof trusses. In the the Handball Arena was “design for the venue were handed to LOCOG in impaired World War II veterans. There original scheme the roof trusses were legacy and overlay for games”, and the May. For me the job was done. I had is a bell in the ball to guide play, and to be erected from outside the building response was a simple, cost effective, been managing the project since work the building’s mechanical systems had footprint. The new scheme meant that flexible building with the viewing area started and it was a great feeling that it to be designed to achieve theatre-like erection of the roof trusses had to be stacked as tightly as possible around had gone successfully. noise levels at the field of play. undertaken from the field of play. the field of play to produce a small The project progressed at a pace building with minimum facade area. Which Olympic event would you most Q&A: Rob O’Brien, senior during 2010, and the 60m long, 4m The BREEAM Excellent-rated building like to watch and/or take part in? project manager, Buckingham deep roof trusses were erected during is cubic in shape and clad in 3,000m2 Handball (of course) Group Contracting late May and June 2010. During the of copper. It was designed and built latter phase of roof truss erection the with sustainability as a priority: the Q&A: Arup design team How did you build the Handball field of play was home to two crawler copper cladding has a high recycled Arena? cranes, two medium-sized mobile content, the building uses water What was your biggest challenge? We took possession of the site in early cranes, one mobile tower crane, two harvesting and has waterless urinals, A key concept was the open June 2009, with the piling works forklifts and six cherry pickers; space and a natural lighting system feeds interconnectivity between the commencing in late July. was at a premium. On a footprint of daylight into the venue via 88 rooftop concourse and the main arena, when As the design progressed through just 67m x 46m these works were a sun-pipes, resulting in energy savings traditionally the concourse is a fire the autumn of 2009, and construction major challenge with regards to safety. of up to 40%. separated space, used as the first point for escape in the event of a fire. PROJECT TEAM Q&A: Colin Naish, We used a risk-based analysis to “On a footprint of just 67m x project sponsor, ODA show that all occupants would be able 46m these works presented Main contractor: Buckingham to safely evacuate, by considering the a significant challenge with Group Contracting What was your biggest challenge? use of the concourse, the materials Architect: Make Architects with Cladding the top half of the venue in present, the spectators likely to be regards to safety ” PTW copper. We had to source around using the venue and the high levels of Rob O’Brien, senior project Engineer: Arup 3,000m2 of copper from the management present when the manager, Buckingham Group Design software: Oasys manufacturer and carefully fit it, strip building is used for large events.

40 NCE in association with Olympic Delivery Authority London 2012 Olympics One Year to Go | Major Project Report 07 | 2011

Rapid construction: (top) White Water Canoe Centre main building; (bottom) Riding The course includes movable obstacles that create the white the rapids water features

White Water Canoe Centre

Olympic canoe slalom “Obstacles can be events will take place at configured anywhere on the the new Lee Valley White course to provide a Water Centre, located constantly changing white 30km north of the Olympic water experience” Park in Broxbourne, David Mutter, project director, Hertfordshire on a former Galliford Try landfill site.

Two new canoe slalom courses have been built for the Games: a 300m fill material, then formed the channels competition course and a 160m with step drops and eddy pools of intermediate/training course. The precise geometry. Hyder and specialist courses are fed by a 10,000m2 artificial course designer EPD modelled the lake that is fed from borehole water course at 1 to 30 scale and proved the and cleaned up to swimming pool course geometry prior to construction. standard by an on site treatment plant. The 300m competition course has a drop of 5.5m and is fed by five pumps facilities, a cafeteria, water treatment The courses and the facilities PROJECT TEAM building will remain in place once the drawing water from the lake at a rate centre and storage for rafts and 3 Games are over, and the centre will of 13.5m /s, which would fill the Architect: Faulkner Browns canoes, was awarded a Ceequal become a venue for canoeing, Olympic swimming pool within two Excellent rating due to the high degree kayaking and white water rafting. minutes! The Intermediate course Landscape architect: MVVA of sustainable construction provides a gentler experience, with a incorporated in the design. Features drop of 1.6m over 160m. Course designers: Whitewater include solar panels for secondary Parks International/Cundall Q&A: David Mutter, The real innovation on the course is water heating, and primary heating project director, Galliford Try the Rapidbloc moveable obstacles, Detailed course design: EPD/S20 from heat pumps drawing energy from which create the white water features. Design & Engineering the lake water. How did you build the White This system was developed specifically Contractor: Galliford Try Water Canoe Centre? for the White Water Canoe Centre by What are you most proud of? Our challenge was to construct two Andy Laird of EPD, but is now being Lightweight aggregate fill: Leca Hearing world class athletes from the slalom courses and associated facilities used on other UK and international world over stating that this is the best by Christmas 2010 to allow athletes to courses. The obstacles can be artificial course they have experienced. start training in January 2011. A further configured anywhere within the course challenge was to open the venue for to provide a constantly changing white Which Olympic event would you most public use ahead of the Games. water experience, which should allow like to watch and/or take part in? The Olympic course is constructed the venue to remain the foremost 3 Having just taken up canoeing late in on a landform of imported WRAP white water centre for years to come. 13.5m life I would like to have competed in recycled materials over the landfill, The venue’s multi-purpose facilities Speed per second at which pumps Olympic Slalom and I will be coming to which was surcharged to compress the building, which includes changing deliver water down the course watch the event at Broxbourne.

42 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority London 2012 Olympics One Year to Go | Major Project Report 07 | 2011 Pushing the boats out

Sailing Venue

The Olympic and Give me shelter: The new slipways, pier and Paralympic sailing breakwater at the National Sailing Academy competitions will take place at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) and the adjoining Portland marina.

In 2008 work started to enhance the existing facilities at WPNSA, with the construction of a new permanent 250m slipway and race-boat parking, lifting and mooring facilities. Work was completed on time and on budget in November 2008, making the WPNSA the first 2012 venue to be ready – more PROJECT TEAM slipway frontage. We built one new viable before and after the Games. than three years ahead of the Games. section first and a parking area for Completing this venue early has Project Manager: Olympic boats, while they used the old facilities, helped because the place has been Q&A: Mark Stanyon, Delivery Authority then we were able to let them onto the established in the sailing fraternity’s project manager, Balfour Beatty new slipways and do the other half of mind. Regional Civil Engineering Planning/Design consultants: the work. On a second level it is about how the WYG/Royal Haskoning We also built a 40m long pier to enhancement works were carried out. How did you build the sailing venue? Contractor: Balfour Beatty launch boats from, with a linkspan The initial set-up on site for the Dean & Dyball had built the sailing Regional Civil Engineering, bridge onto the pontoons where boats enhancement works took place in academy a few years before, so the through its Dean and Dyball civil are moored. The pier structure is made January 2008 but the start of company knew the site very well. I live engineering division of tubular steel piles driven 10m into construction was deliberately held back in Weymouth and a lot of the guys live the seabed, with in situ concrete and programmed to start in May 2008 in Weymouth or Portland. They can beams between the piles, precast to avoid disrupting the nesting season look out of their windows and see the concrete planks spanning the beams of over-wintering birds around the site in the morning, so it is very close to and an in situ concrete topping. local coastline. the company’s and the workforce and 80,000t There is also an L-shaped rock staff’s hearts. breakwater with a total length of What are you most proud of? Even though we had built the Imported crushed Portland stone 200m, built 150m offshore. It being the first 2012 venue the ODA academy, this did feel like a different finished, creating an early legacy for job. Apart from anything else, this was Q&A: Ralph Luck, people to use and to start creating going to be the first Olympic venue to “Construction was held director of property, ODA economic benefits for the area. be completed. There were several challenges: back to avoid disrupting What does sustainability mean to you Which Olympic event would you most working in the sea was one of them, over-wintering birds” in the context of this venue? like to watch and/or take part in? and another was keeping the academy Ralph Luck, ODA At one level it is about creating a facility It has to be the sailing, as it is my running while we built 250m of new that is user friendly and financially passion outside work.

44 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Homing in on the future

Coming home: The Athletes’ Village will become a Athletes’ Village sustainable community once the Games are over

The Athletes’ Village these periods the 2M hour milestone Q&A: Mark Dickinson, has been designed was reached. “Health and safety is project director, Lend Lease “Strong safety outcomes for legacy but adapted absolutely the highest priority, and the have been put down strong safety outcomes have been put What was your biggest challenge? to relentlessly revisiting for the Olympic and down to relentlessly revisiting simple, Maintaining exceptional standards of Paralympic Games, effective initiatives across the team,” Health and safety to ensure every simple initiatives” when it will house 17,000 says Lend Lease project director Mark worker is sent home safely at the end Mark Dickinson, athletes and officials. Dickinson. of each day has been the biggest focus project director, Lend Lease “With the rate of progress we have and has consistently been the most achieved, and the huge growth in the important challenge on site. It has Therefore it has been imperative that workforce, the logistical challenges required relentless focus and we’re design initiatives and quality of product have been onerous,” he adds. working to ensure complacency are key in the successful delivery of the The site has received around 900 to doesn’t set in as we push forward overall project. 1,000 delivery vehicles each day for the through the last few months of the job. The 24ha site contains 11 residential past year, with about 300,000 vehicles plots, with 2,818 homes, a state of the passing through the site in 2010. What are you most proud of? art education academy, a three-storey The Village will set new standards The intensity of this project can be multi-use health facility and a in sustainability, being the first tiring, with tight deadlines and high multi-story car park for high speed rail development of this scale to expectations across the board. Many of line High Speed One, as well as 6km of achieve Level 4 of the Code for the team joined the project at the start road networks and over 10ha of Sustainable Homes. – others for just a few months, but landscaped public realm and courtyard This has been achieved by everyone’s focus remains the same. spaces. considered design, high levels of We have some exceptional talent in 24 Lend Lease was appointed as the energy efficiency, extensive biodiversity the team and just looking at what has Tower cranes in operation at peak design, development and construction and use of certified responsibly sourced been achieved makes me proud of of construction manager for the Athletes’ Village back materials. everyone involved in the delivery. in March 2007, and has seen the This year has seen the landscaping project from initial planning stages, at the Village change dramatically. What was the most significant date/ with a small start-up team, through to “The first tree was planted in January, event on the job and why? a peak workforce of 6,000 in spring and we will eventually see the Each time we have a new visitor to the 340m this year. introduction of 3,000 new trees on site, their reaction reminds me of what Of high speed railway running Following the handover of the site, including herb gardens and has been achieved to date. World through the centre of the site had multi-storey car park in late 2010, the orchards,” says Dickinson. famous athletes have visited the site to be enclosed before construction company is now progressively The focus for delivery in the final and openly talked about how work could commence completing residential buildings, and months before handover in February impressed they are with what’s being has so far delivered close to 10,000 2012 will be managing the interface delivered at the Village – the quality of bed spaces ready for Games organiser between the 63 buildings on site and product, design and landscaping are LOCOG’s final fit-out. completing the landscaping. always commented on. To date the project team has worked This will be done while maintaining 1M in excess of 18M hours and delivered safe access across and through the site Which Olympic event would you Working hours without 1M hours without a reportable injury and facilitating LOCOG’s requirements most like to watch? a reportable injury on six separate occasions; in two of as it prepares for the Games. Any – I didn’t get any tickets! on six separate occasions

46 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011

Creating Iconic: Monica Bonvicini’s installation Run an identity

Public art

By integrating arts and culture initiatives into ArcelorMittal Orbit the public spaces across the Park, the Olympic The most prominent artwork on the The sculpture is intended to be Delivery Authority Park is the 115m high ArcelorMittal experienced in many different ways: (ODA) hopes to create a Orbit, named after its sponsor, steel from a distance it will pop up in giant ArcelorMittal and designed by different views all over London, while unique area that gives artists Anish Kapoor and Cecil close up, the power of the complex existing local Balmond with consultant Arup, and form will be revealed. “It has been communities a sense of Ushida Findlay Architects. It sits designed to be a journey of amazing within the Olympic Park between the experiences, ranging from quiet ownership. Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics contemplation into vertiginous Centre. excitement,” says the design team, It also hopes the area will make new The sculpture – the tallest in the adding that the biggest challenge communities want to live, and help UK – is being constructed from a was “taking a concept sketched as a make east London a world class visitor continuous looping lattice of tubular Advanced geometry: The Orbit single flowing line and translating it destination. steel, and will be painted deep red. It into a very large three dimensional “We wanted arts and culture to be incorporates two viewing platforms to sculpt and optimise its form. form which human beings could part of the new landscape and not just at 76m and 80m above the ground. The design team claims the inhabit”. an add-on, so a programme of Arup’s advanced geometry unit structure “crosses the boundaries So far the design team has spent permanent commissions has been took the Orbit’s design through between art, architecture and more than 30,000 hours on the developed over the last three years and conceptual development, with engineering, fusing them into a project. Construction started in integrated into the high quality bespoke parametric tools allowing a complete piece – and a very large October 2010 and completion is due architecture, landscape, design, team of software scripting designers one at that”. in early 2012. construction and engineering of the Park,” explains ODA head of arts and cultural strategy Sarah Weir. the main footbridges in the middle of Q&A: Pierre Engel, These diverse commissions include “We wanted arts and culture the Park; and “The Floating Cinema” chief engineer, ArcelorMittal artists’ designs on bridges and to be part of the new by artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie underpasses, security fences landscape and not just with UP Projects and Studio Weave is What are you most proud of? incorporating artwork, planting currently navigating the waterways The collaborative effort needed to schemes, large-scale walls and facades, an add-on” surrounding the Olympic Park. realise the vision of Anish Kapoor and and artist-led community projects in Sarah Weir, ODA Future projects, which will become Cecil Balmond has been inspiring to be the five host boroughs. as much a part of the Park as the a part of. At every stage of this Some of these projects are already venues, include poetry on transformer incredible process we have been able visible and demonstrate the ingenuity commission “Ifo spectrum”; the enclosures and walls across the site, to call upon brilliant minds and and imagination that artists have “Cloud Bridge” by RCA design students numerous “fantastic facts” on bench craftsmen – everybody from the brought to the look and feel of the Park Oscar Bauer and Nazareno Crea is plaques by local artists Klassnik architects in London, to the and the surrounding area. For already installed on Angel Lane bridge Corporation, Riitta Ikonen and We steelworkers in Luxembourg, through example, the fence around a key in Stratford; Hackney-based artist Made That, and Monica Bonvincini’s the welders in Bolton and the onsite building in the north of the Park Martin Richman’s distinctive “One landmark lightpiece “RUN” outside the team of four that are constructing the showcases Carsten Nicolai’s Whirl” design can be seen on one of Handball Arena. ArcelorMittal Orbit.

48 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority UK Games: A Year to Go | Major Project report 07 | 2011 Getting to the games

Transport

London 2012 is set to station entrance. Establishing the Q&A: Hugh Sumner, director be the first “public Javelin service at Stratford International of transport, ODA will also help meet demand, as will transport Games”, investment in improving capacity at What was your biggest challenge? with 100% of spectators West Ham station. Next summer everything will be much able to travel by rail, Substantial progress has been made busier than usual. Tube, bus, coach cycle, on improving rail, Tube and DLR The biggest challenge for us was services, while contracts have been getting the balance right between river or foot. drawn up to create national coach and how we get spectators around with bus networks for the Games. the continuance of background What needed to happen to make this There will also be a Park & Ride demand. possible – particularly for accessing the service for spectators wishing to use We have worked closely with Olympic Park – was opening up routes their cars for part of their journey to the stakeholders and operators to ensure to more people so that people could Olympic Park. Transport infrastructure that roads, rail networks and other “The main constraint get there and back no matter which along the River Thames is being routes continue to operate as close to with all the transport works mode they decided to use. improved to raise the profile of water normal as possible. A concentrated effort was made as a transport option, and more than The Olympic Games are being held is carrying them out with between the Olympic Delivery 100 walking and cycling schemes on at a time when service demand is at its minimal disruption” Authority (ODA) and its partners to eight routes across London are being lowest, because of holiday season, and Hugh Sumner, ODA improve London’s networks, and across upgraded, as well as paths linking to we have worked with Transport for the UK £6.5bn has helped to fast-track outer London venues London to inform businesses of the existing enhancement plans to “The main constraint with all the need to plan their travel and deliveries improve travel before, during and after transport works is carrying them out around this increased demand so that the Games. with minimal disruption,” says ODA they can continue to operate as Just under 50% of visitors to the director of transport Hugh Sumner, efficiently as possible. Olympic Park will travel via Stratford who cites the example of the town station, where peak time capacity has centre link bridge being slid into place What are you most proud of? been increased from around 35,000 in above live tracks to avoid temporary I’m particularly proud of the way the mornings during 2006 to around rail closures. the transport industry rose to the 120,000 by next year. The Games-time requirements for challenge of the bid. Improvements at Stratford station additional capacity have already It has done so again to help deliver include a new Docklands Light Railway created a long-term legacy, with the the infrastructure, and is running a fast (DLR) extension from Stratford Olympic Park served by 10 lines and last leg to bring the operations on line International to Canning Town, new three stations – Stratford, Stratford next summer. platforms on the North London Line, International and West Ham. Stratford In terms of achievement, we’ve refurbished subways and new lifts, a has always had good rail links, and the done it safely, we’ve saved money 13.87 new Northern Ticket Hall serving the Games-related investment will make it and we’re within a few days of where Frequency in second of train arrivals Westfield Stratford shopping centre, a one of the best connected parts of we should be. at the Olympic Park during the Games mezzanine-deck ticket hall and new London. We also don’t suffer from hubris!

50 NCE in association with the Olympic Delivery Authority