01/2008 The Arup Journal Contents Ngong Ping 360 Zfote Tarasy, Warsaw, Poland John Batchelor, Suresh Tank Darren Anderson, Zbigniew Czajewski, Stuart Clarke, Ian Feltham, Paul Geeson, Waste as a driver of change Marcin Karczmarczyk, Richard Kent, Part 1 : The nature of the problem David Killion, Zbigniew Kotynia, and why we have it Maciej Lewonowski, Robert Lindsay, Rachel Birch Philip Monypenny, Chris Murgatroyd, Textus Johnny Ojeil, Raf Orlowski, Andrzej Sitko, Mark Fletcher, Richard Greer, Darren Woolf Dan Lister, Karen Walters 5 MCASD Downtown expansion: The Hylomorphic Project The Joan & Irwin Jacobs Building and Judith Leuppi, Kristina Shea the David C Copley Building Peter Berry, Jeffrey Huang, Ricardo Pittella So Urbanization as a driver of change Susan Thomas 1. Passenger cabins on the Ngong Ping 360 cableway pass each other above Lantau Island, Hong Kong. 2. The Airport Island angle station (AIAS), leading to Tower 28. Ngong Ping 360 John Batchelor Suresh Tank Introduction Ngong Ping 360, one of Hong Kong's most challenging and complex tourism projects, is a cableway linking Tung Chung and Ngong Ping {pronounced "nong ping"}, on Lantau Island immediately south of Hong Kong International Airport. Tung Chung is a new town developed in conjunction with the airport, whilst Ngong Ping is home to the 34m tall Tian Tan Buddha, the world's largest outdoor seated bronze figure, completed in 1993 and weighing over 250 tonnes, and the nearby Po Lin monastery. Continuing the theme nearby is Ngong Ping Village, with attractions like "Walking with Buddha", "Monkey's Tale Theatre", and the Ngong Ping Tea House, as well as shops, restaurants, and live entertainment. Totalling 5. ?km in length, this bi-cable, circulating, detachable, cable car system is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world. Each cabin carries 17 passengers (10 seated and seven standing), and the system has the second 3. The Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping. highest transport capacity, with 3500 passengers per hour each way. It also achieves the greatest speed yet (7m/sec) in a detachable circulating system. and has the largest diameter track rope (?Omm) for a bi-cable system. Hong Kong's latest tourist The journey of 20-25 minutes from Tung Chung terminal gives panoramic views over the North Lantau Country Park, the South China Sea, Hong Kong International attraction is the largest cable car Airport, and surrounding areas. and culminates in a breathtaking scenic panorama system of its kind in the world. as it approaches the Tian Tan Buddha and Ngong Ping. The Arup Journal 1/ 2008 3 Background Ngong Ping is an important Hong Kong tourist attraction. It has around 1M visitors a year, despite its poor transport connections - the bus journey takes about an hour from Tung Chung on a narrow, winding road. Studies were carried out during the 1990s on the development of a cable car link between the Tung Chung new town and Ngong Ping as part of the then Hong Kong government's initiative to develop Lantau as a tourism destination. After a competitive bid process, in July 2002 the MTR Corporation Ltd (MTRCL) and the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK SAR) entered into a provisional agreement for the project, by then known as Tung Chung Cable Car. During this period the government enacted the Tung Chung Cable Car ordinance and the MTRCL carried out, and obtained approval of, an environmental impact assessment and a scheme design. In November 2003, the MTRCL and the HK SAR signed a project agreement for the cable car. The franchise commenced on 24 December 2003 and will last for 30 years, after which the system will be transferred free to the government for continued 4. Route alignment for the cable car system: (a) Tung Chung terminal, (b) Tower 1, (c) Tower 2A, operation as a tourist attraction. (d) Airport Island angle station, (e) Tower 28, (f) Tower 3, (g) Tower 4, {h) Tower 5, (i) Nei Lak Shan angle station, G) Tower 6, (k) Tower 7, {I) Ngong Ping terminal, (m) Ngong Ping Village, Project management (n) Tian Tan Buddha, (o) Po Lin monastery. Contract and procurement With its aim a world-class but cost-effective The Stage 2 design team, comprising the MTRCL's design consultant (Aedas Ltd tourism project, the MTRCL decided on a target supported by Mott Connell), and its own team members, was based in the MTRCL cost contract, with pain share/gain share provisions office, working closely with the appointed tenderer. They were supported by cable within its standard design-and-build contract car operator Skyrail-lTM, from Australia, and the ropeway designer Leitner GmbH, format. It adopted a two-stage tender process, from Austria. and Maeda Corporation - supported by Arup - The scope of the building and civil engineering works contract required Maeda was successful in the Stage 1 tender assessment and Arup to design tower foundations and pilecaps as well as provide input to the and was invited to proceed to Stage 2 as the value engineering. Leitner GmbH was responsible for designing the ropeway and appointed tenderer. A key part of the winning steel towers under a separate, interfacing contract. A target cost for the works was proposal was its cost-saving alternative design agreed at the end of Stage 2 and Maeda was awarded the contract to proceed measures, several of which were incorporated into with Stage 3 - the detail design and construction. Within this, Arup and Aedas, as the subsequent target cost model. project architect, carried out the detailed design of the works, with Arup providing The objective of the Stage 2 process was to civil, geotechnical, SMEP, and fire services design of the following major elements: develop a scheme/developed design and related • Tung Chung terminal building working methods, with a mutually agreed and • two turning angle stations - Airport Island and Nei Lak Shan realistic target cost for the works, and this duly • Ngong Ping terminal building enabled the target cost contract to be awarded to • the Ngong Ping theme village and its associated attractions Maeda, supported by Arup for engineering design. • diversion of 390m of Ngong Ping stream, constructed from gabions Tower 1 1 25.6m .st... i======i-~\m 355m 117 Tung Chung I m terminal 5. Elevation of the cable car system (continues on subsequent pages). 4 The Arup Journal 1/2008 • foundation design of eight towers meetings between Arup, Aedas, and Maeda to • slope stabilization and mitigation measures for towers and angle stations monitor a programme of BO submissions, reviewing • approximately 6km of rescue trail along the cable car alignment conditions imposed by BO during the processing, • infrastructure associated with the terminal buildings, the theme village, and the and monitoring the programme tightly due to the angle stations. unprecedented number of submissions (over 200) A site team from the MTRCL and Maeda was established in shared project offices required to cover the engineering aspects of the in Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, with the aim of providing effective everyday work. Arup's work covered the building structures communications and quick joint decisions. At peak, the Arup team totalled around and tower foundations, but excluded the towers 50 engineering design staff in Hong Kong, with support from the Arup Shenzhen themselves and other secondary support structures and Manila offices to meet multiple deadlines for design submissions. covered by separate RSEs in other companies. Building approva ls Partnering All private building projects in Hong Kong are strictly controlled from design through The concept of partnering was introduced at the to occupation by the Government Building Authority via its Buildings Department outset. Several partnering and value management (BO). As Ngong Ping 360 is a private initiative operated by a non-government workshops, facilitated by an external consultant, company, the project had to be carried out under the Buildings Ordinance. were held for the project team including top Full structural submissions including foundations and their geotechnical input management and front end site staff. were submitted to the BO for formal approval and consent, as unti l consent is Regular monthly partnering meetings were also issued no construction may proceed for that particular element of the work. Normal held on site to monitor the objectives in the project approval processing is carried out within a 60 calendar day window, followed by a charter signed by all involved. This approach proved 28-day period for formal consent to be issued. The BO insisted that each station successful, with all parties working together to and tower - a total of 13 sites - be treated as a separate project from the point of achieve common goals and creating a barrier-free view of submissions, which added significant challenges of complexity. and harmonious working relationship. Responsibility for submissions, gaining approvals, consents, and subsequent The cost challenges, and the complex approvals safe execution within the strict controls of the Buildings Ordinance lies with process which impacted the design costs, also professionally qualified individuals appointed by the project promoter. These tested the partnering concept, since Arup had individuals have a duty to see that the works are designed and constructed to the committed to a fixed lump sum fee in advance of Ordinance. Overall responsibility lies with the authorized person (AP) - usually an the BO requirements being known. However, mutual architect - with the structural and geotechnical issues taken by a registered commitment to partnering by all parties enabled structural engineer (RSE) and registered geotechnical engineer (RGE). For Ngong these challenges to be resolved without breakdown Ping 360, these latter individuals were Arup staff, with Aedas providing the AP role. of relationships or retreat to contractual positions At the commencement of the project, the MTRCL initiated and chaired weekly that would have delayed the project.