An Overview of the Design of the AAT Air-Cargo Handling Terminal, Hong Kong

Aspects of Bridges Several members have written about bridges, with particular interest in the new Millennium Bridge. First, however, something about a very much older bridge. Mr D. J. Yendall, writing from Stockton-on-Tees, has entitled his contribution ‘Rainbow bridges: missing the boat’: I must congratulate Channel 4 for its recent programme ‘Mysteries of Lost Empires’ (screened on 22 June 2000) on what was a thought-provoking and informative insight into ancient Chinese bridge-building. The concept of timber pinned arches constructed with readily available materials and labour, with straight pieces of timber, to form a simple, elegant and rapid solution to crossing busy canal networks to form an arched bridge without disruption demonstrated that the problems facing modern engineers are nothing new.

The rapid expansion in air travel is a worldwide phenomenon, and nowhere more so than in southeast Asia where passenger volume has been increasing on an unprecedented scale. The new Hong Kong Airport at Chek Lap Kok was planned to meet the growth projections for air travel into the 21st century; the project comprised not only the airport itself, but also the entire infrastructure required to service it. The total project, collectively known as the airport core programme (ACP), included the road and rail network connecting the airport to Hong Kong and Kowloon, together with the construction of a complete township at Tung Chung, adjacent to the new airport. With a value of some £15bn, the ACP stands as one of the world's largest construction endeavours; what is even more impressive is the fact that it was constructed in a remarkably short period of time. H.J. Gettins and Y. Ushio

David Bennett interviews Ian Thompson of SKM (UK) on design aspects of the £225M Olympic Stadium in Sydney, which won an IStructE Structural Award.