Asian Games 2006, Opening & Closing Ceremonies
Client: David Atkins Enterprises
Project Engineer: Eamonn Madden
In January 2006 David Atkins Enterprises (DAE) appointed Partridge Partners as consulting engineers responsible for ensuring the structural safety of 50 ground based and 25 flown ‘performance structures’ as well as 2 stages and a number of tower structures (supported on the stage lift constructed below the centre of the field of play) to be used in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Doha Asian Games held in December 2006.
The ceremonies include the most ambitious use of ‘flown’ performance structures in a one-off outdoor event. These structures are designed to carry performers while suspended from a series of cables strung across the stadium at 60m height.
Our main task in projects such as this is to balance the engineering requirements of design for safety certification with the performance requirements and the need to achieve a lightweight but robust structure that does not impede the artistic endeavour.
We established the loading requirements by: -
- engaging a wind engineer to assist in determining the likely wind loading to be expected during the event; and
- working with the show directors to confirm the end use and number of performers on each piece.
We backed this up by rigorous fabrication and inspection specification; a continuous QA process; adherence to a safety manual for each piece and encouraging ownership of the performance pieces by workshop staff and performers.
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