SPECIAL ISSUE March 2016 The EngineerVolume 94 | Issue 3 The fl agship Structuralpublication of The Institution of Structural Engineers REFLECTIVE THINKING ART OF PARAMETRIC DESIGN OPTIMISATION METHODS CITY OF DREAMS VIRTUAL BY DESIGN ENGINEERING IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT DIGITAL DESIGN Tools, techniques, perspectives TSE51_01 Cover.indd 1 24/02/2016 11:34 p02_TSE.03.16.indd 2 19/02/2016 15:58 › www.thestructuralengineer.org Contents TheStructuralEngineer 3 March 2016 PAGE 34 OPTIMISATION METHODS PAGE 69 QATAR FACULTY OF ISLAMIC STUDIES PAGE 94 DIGITAL ASSEMBLY? TheStructuralEngineer Volume 94 | Issue 3 Upfront 44 What is your structural model not telling you? Opinion 48 What is the need for verifi cation, validation and 5 Editorial 92 Viewpoint: Structural engineering within a digital quality assurance of computer-aided calculation? 6 Institution news environment 52 Integration of hand calculations with computational 94 Viewpoint: Digital design, fabrication and assembly 8 Industry news output – a good practice summary 96 Viewpoint: Should we now say “design and Introduction Project focus analysis” and not “analysis and design”? 10 Insight not numbers – a brief history of computing in 98 Book review: Advanced Modelling Techniques in 56 City of Dreams, Macau – making the vision viable structural engineering Structural Design 69 Digitally designed – Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies 99 Verulam Methods and practice Education 14 Time to refl ect: a strategy for reducing risk in At the back 78 Should students be introduced to analysis and structural design 101 Diary dates design software? 19 How to choose the right structural engineering 103 Spotlight on Structures software? 80 What are the benefi ts of exposing students to structural analysis and design software? 105 And fi nally… 24 Structural workfl ows and the art of parametric 106 Products & Services design 88 Virtual by design 108 Services Directory 34 An introduction to engineering optimisation methods 109 TheStructuralEngineerJobs Front cover: ©ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS The Structural Engineer www.thestructuralengineer.org PRESIDENT ADVERTISING EDITORIAL ADVISORY GROUP © The Institution of Structural Engineers. All non-member authors Alan Crossman are required to sign the Institution’s ‘Licence to publish’ form. CEng, FIStructE, FICE, DISPLAY SALES Project focus: Allan Mann, FIStructE Authors who are members of the Institution meet our requirements MCIWEM Patrick Lynn Features: Don McQuillan, FIStructE under the Institution’s Regulation 10.2 and therefore do not need t: +44 (0) 20 7880 7614 Technical: Chris O’Regan, FIStructE to sign the ‘Licence to publish’ form. Copyright for the layout and CHIEF EXECUTIVE e: [email protected] Opinion: Angus Palmer, MIStructE design of articles resides with the Institution while the copyright Martin Powell Professional guidance: Simon Pitchers, MIStructE RECRUITMENT SALES of the material remains with the author(s). All material published in Paul Wade The Structural Engineer carries the copyright of the Institution, but EDITORIAL t: +44 (0) 20 7880 6212 Price (2016 subscription) the intellectual rights of the authors are acknowledged. e: [email protected] Institutional: £390 (12 issues incl. e-archive, p&p and VAT) HEAD OF PUBLISHING The Institution of Structural Engineers Personal: £125 (12 issues incl. p&p) Lee Baldwin International HQ DESIGN Personal (Student Member): £40 (12 issues incl. p&p) 47–58 Bastwick Street EDITOR SENIOR DESIGNER London EC1V 3PS Single copies: £35 (incl. p&p) Robin Jones Craig Bowyer United Kingdom t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9822 t: +44 (0)20 7235 4535 e: [email protected] CREATIVE DIRECTOR e: [email protected] Mark Parry Printed by EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Warners Midlands plc The Institution of Structural Engineers PRODUCTION Ian Farmer The Maltings, Manor Lane Incorporated by Royal Charter t: +44 (0) 20 7201 9121 PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH Charity Registered in England and Wales number 233392 and in e: [email protected] Rachel Young United Kingdom Scotland number SC038263 TSE51_03 Contents.indd 3 24/02/2016 11:34 KLOECKNER METALS UK WESTOK Cellular Beam Specialist oftware Enginee anufactu S ue ri M re l n a g V E C s e n e e st F l gi g llu li re ab ne ta l ia e il e y s ar, ec De Ava ring an Pla Sp sign Software Support at te and USFB • Clear span solutions • CE Marking to BS EN 1090-1 Exc 4 • Optimised floor cross-section • Revit® integration • Ability to offer the right mix of cellular and plated beams • Free Westok design, vibration and BIM software • Flexible service integration • Free design service: Scheme, detailed and value • Pre-cambering provided free of charge engineering ENTRUSTED TO DESIGN AND DELIVER MULTI-METAL SOLUTIONS Kloeckner Metals UK| Westok | Valley Farm Way | Stourton | Leeds | LS10 1SE | t: 0113 205 5270 | MARWE.FEB2016 e: [email protected] | w: www.kloecknerwestok.com p04_TSE.03.16.indd 4 19/02/2016 15:59 › www.thestructuralengineer.org Upfront TheStructuralEngineer 5 Editorial March 2016 Upfront Digital design Peter Ayres Guest Editor Not so long ago, a journalist asked me an interesting question: “Do (page 14). My AECOM colleagues, Jon Leach et al., provide an in-depth you believe the work of the structural engineer can ever be replaced description of the practical application of parametric design methods by artifi cial intelligence”. I think she was somewhat taken aback when I to optimise complex geometrical solutions (page 24), while Peter answered “Yes”. Debney of Arup off ers a highly accessible introduction to the theory But before the esteemed readership of this magazine fl oods Verulam behind various optimisation methods, from simple quasi-Newtonian with missives of indignation, let me explain that I qualifi ed my answer; methodologies to state-of-the-art artifi cial neural networking (page 34). I postulated that while almost all the technical work undertaken by As examples of advanced digital design in practice, we are treated structural engineers at every level could, in theory, be overtaken by to two fascinating project case studies: BuroHappold’s City of Dreams artifi cial intelligence (and that it would be highly complacent of us Hotel in Macau (page 56), and Arup’s Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies as a profession to assume our more “left brained” tendencies were in Doha (page 69). irreplaceable) the art of the structural engineer would always remain. A recurring concern expressed by many practising engineers is how Which begs the question, as structural engineers, what do we really student engineers can learn the fundamentals of structural engineering mean by design? When I was at university over 30 years ago, much of in a world where much of the work traditionally undertaken by our course work was taken up learning the hard, number-crunching graduates can be supplanted by technology. So in our fourth section, ways of analysing structures, while “design” lessons generally involved we explore how students should be exposed to software as part of practising the use of codes and standards to select and detail their development, rounded off by an inspiring piece from Institution structural elements. For the 21st-century structural engineer, these Past President Tim Ibell on how the digital revolution should allow a new are processes which can now be almost entirely automated. Our real kind of creative talent to emerge in the world of engineering (page 88). value comes in understanding when and how to apply the increasingly We conclude with a series of short opinion pieces, including a complex tools at our disposal to deliver value and creativity to our typically thought-provoking contribution from Tristram Carfrae of Arup clients and stakeholders. on the creative possibilities opened up by allowing engineers to “play” So in this special issue of The Structural Engineer, we set out to in a digital world (page 92). describe how far our profession has come, and where it might be going, I hope you will enjoy this special issue; I have certainly enjoyed in the development of digital design tools, and what this might mean for editing it. I truly believe we are a creative industry. Technology is a tool, structural engineers of the future. By way of introduction, we start with not an end in itself, and by choosing our tools wisely, we can continue a historical insight into the use of computers in structural engineering to create and sustain better world. by Allan Mann of Jacobs, including some fascinating recollections of predictions from the past (page 10). Peter Ayres is a structural engineer and multidisciplinary team We go on to present a collection of papers from across our leader at AECOM who has delivered an extraordinary range of high- profession exploring the methods and practice used by leading performance buildings in recent years, from the multiple award-winning practitioners today, including some salutary lessons from Iain MacLeod Halley VI Antarctic research base to world-class sports venues in of The University of Strathclyde on the importance of refl ective thinking Russia, Brazil and the Middle East. 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