The Rowen Travel Award was introduced in 1993 by J. N. Rowen Ltd with the purpose of providing financial support to an IStructE member each year to ‘study current practice or trends related to structural engineering in construction’. This is now repeated each year, administered by the Educational Trust of the Institution. In 2003 the author was awarded the Rowen Travel Award to study the use of rammed earth in Australia. During his 7 months there during 2004, he was able to assist Ramtec Pty Ltd in developing the use of prefabricated rammed earth. In April 2005 the author presented a report on these experiences to the Educational Trust. This article summarises the contents of that report, with particular focus on the design, constructional and industrial features that promote the widespread use of the material. Tobias Hodsdon MEng (Hons) Structural Engineer, Buro Happold
The Sage Music Centre in Gateshead was opened in November 2004. This new music centre provides major new performance and teaching spaces for the North East of England situated on the south bank of the River Tyne, overlooking the river. The building is a key part of the rejuvenation works at Gateshead, following the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Fig 1. The Sage Centre consists of three separate buildings, two main performance halls and a third smaller rehearsal space. These are interlinked with terraces, esplanades and basements, over-sailed by a shell-like steel roof. This paper describes the conception, design and construction of the roof that encloses these three buildings. It is the first of two papers, the second of which will be presented by Connell Mott to describe the construction of the buildings beneath the roof. Mike Cook, MA(Cantab), PhD, CEng, FIStructE Buro Happold Angus Palmer, BA, CEng, MIStructE Buro Happold Dipl.-Ing Johan Sischka Waagner Biro