Surface, snow and light: design of the new Pulkovo Terminal 2 roof

In the light of this year’s earthquake in Nepal, Harsha Mehta argues that the increasing global frequency of extreme events requires structural engineers to move away from prescriptive codes to a performance-based design process.

The Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is a 530m super-tall building nearing completion in the People's Republic of China. For a building of this height, wind forces and associated wind-induced motion in the upper levels can become dominant factors in the structural design of its foundations and lateral-stability system. This article describes how an initial aerodynamic shape-optimisation workshop allowed the design team to develop a finely tuned architectural form capable of minimising the detrimental effects of vortex shedding.

Synopses of the latest papers accepted for publication in the Institution's new research journal, Structures. Access to Structures is free to all during 2015. From 2016, Institution members will continue to receive free access as one of their membership benefits. The journal is available online at: www.elsevier.com/locate/structures