Issue 16

Site-specific assessment of the loading to which existing bridges are subject has considerable potential for saving on rehabilitation and replacement costs of the bridge stock. Monte Carlo simulations, with traffic measurements from site, are used to estimate the characteristic values for load effects. In this paper, it is shown that the critical loading events from which the characteristic effects are derived, are strongly dependent on the assumptions used for the headways of successive trucks. A new approach which uses measured headway statistical distributions is developed and is shown to be a reasonable balance between conservative assumptions and less realistic scenarios. The sensitivity of characteristic load effects to conventional headway assumptions is shown to be significant. Eugene J. Obrien, BE, MEngSc. PhD, CEng, FIEI, MIStructE Department of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland Colin C. Caprani, BSc(Eng), DipEng, MIEI, MIABSE Department of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland

This paper deals with the structural engineering aspects of the building with particular emphasis on the design of the concert hall and performing spaces. It also describes the construction of the building dealing with the challenges of programming and managing construction phase. Paul Healy, BSc (Eng), CEng, MIStructE, MIEI, RConsEI Director, O’Connor Sutton Cronin Paul McGee, Tech Dip. (Proj.Mgt), MSc, MCIOB Director, Bennett (Construction) Ltd

The Spire of Dublin, described as the largest monument in the world, is 120m tall, 3m diameter at the base tapering to a point at the pinnacle, and is fabricated from shot-peened stainless steel. The simplicity of the structural form belies the complexity of the engineering design. There are many interesting features in the design of this slender monument including the approach to material selection, wind engineering and vortex shedding, damping, fatigue and construction. This paper describes the design and construction of the Spire. Cormac P. Deavy, BE, CEng, MIStructE, FIEI, MICE Arup Andrew Allsop, MA(Cantab), MESc, CEng, MICE, FWES Arup Keith Jones, BEng, CEng, MIStructE Arup