Shaunhowrd-blog - #themodernengineer

#Küssaberg #Deutschland #herbst #beautiful #view #travel #explore #danke for the tour @kohledo2 🍁🍂 (at Dangstetten)

Doha

“The future is now”

The Tornado Tower - Doha

So where is Qatar? and specifically, where is Doha? After a refreshing 10 days in Bali, I slowly made my way to Zurich with a 12 hour stop over in Doha. I purposely chose a long stop over to take a short trip through the CBD. After doing some research, Doha is quite simply next level!

After gauging the geographical positioning of Doha, my first assumption was Doha simply doesn’t receive the hype it deserves because it is smack bang next to Dubai. Generally, if two parties engage in a conversation about significant buildings and infrastructure in the middle east, we automatically assume Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Doha as I mentioned is next level and presents some of the most futuristically engineered infrastructure in the world.

The piece of infrastructure i’ve chosen to investigate in the city of Doha is the Tornado Tower. This 52 storey master piece (640 ft tall) is located in the commercial hub of Doha, West Bay. A variety of blue chip companies have situated themselves in West Bay including Oil and Gas Companies, Government Organisations and the Qatar Financial Centre (QIF).

I’ve chosen this building in particular to give some professional insight on the structural elements involved in the design process. Architecturally, this is very appealing to the eye. To engineer such a beast, can prove quite challenging. For those that don’t know, architects and engineers rarely see eye to eye. Considering the magnitude of this structure, both sets of eyes are practically perpendicular. Major factors that must be considered when designing this structure are the bearing wall systems and building frame systems. A factor of safety was adopted when designing the wall and frame systems for earthquake resistance. Although Doha is not directly affected by seismic activity, various earthquakes were felt in circa 2013 and prompted a re-evaluation of building codes throughout the area.

After walking around the city in the 37 degree heat, I only managed to get a few good shots of the Tornado Tower. I’m new to using the Canon 70D and the afternoon light really played havoc with the angles I approached. The images though clearly show the building architecture and the reason for the name ‘Tornado Tower’. This building was absolutely stunning to see in the flesh, along with its neighbouring counterparts. The moment resisting frame designed for the Tornado Tower is very unique. Horizontal beams and vertical columns provide the structural support to resist lateral forces such as the structures weight. Structural stability of the tower is the ultimate goal for engineers. Structural members within the Tornado Tower have been designed specifically for the arc presence through the mid section of the structure. The tornado arc introduces unique bending moments. This arc or curvature also creates non-standardised shear forces. This structural collaboration between CICO Consulting Architects & Engineers and AECOM would have taken some serious patience. Although I have personally never been involved with the design of a structure of this magnitude, learning about this creation has been refreshing. From an engineers perspective, I could talk about the Tornado Tower all day.

Please enjoy the photos I have posted below, and any feedback or questions are surely welcome.

“Young engineers are the future"

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The Glass House - Phillip Johnson / Veil (Fujiko Nakaya)

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I've been coming to Bali for the past decade and some of the villas popping up throughout the Canggu area are mind blowing... @modern.architect #ricepaddies #bali #indonesia #architecture #villa #themodernengineer #structuralengineering #travel #lifestyle (at Canggu Beach)

A beautiful start to Monday morning here in Bali @finnsbeachclub #themodernengineer #civilengineer #structuralengineer #lifestyle #travel #infrastructure #bali #indonesia #balibagus #tgim (at Finns Beach Club)

A throw back to one of the best surf trips I have been involved with. Little did I know here it would be one of my last. 2.5 years ago I damaged my vestibular system (inner ear) in a surfing accident in Indonesia. I haven't stopped swaying for the past 2.5 years now, as if I've never stepped off of a boat. The medical term for this illness is Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (French terminology for - sickness from disembarkment) @mddsfoundation ... It's taken me a while to adjust to the constant swaying. Any mode of transportation (passive motion) alters the pressure in my ears and I automatically start swaying. It's been a long winded 2.5 years dealing with this issue but as I reflect, this was a great time with even greater mates! I'm pumped for future endeavours. Have a nice evening guys 😄 #notvertigo #maldedebarquement #northsumatra #indonesia #bungalow #shack #island #travel #explore #engineer #themodernengineer #pivot #tbt (at Telo Islands)

Welcome to the worlds largest hybrid tensegrity bridge - The Kurilpa Bridge. Positioned right in the heart of @brisbanecity , @australia. If you are an engineer or architect, you'll appreciate the significance of this structure. @arupgroup #coxraynerarchitects #balanced #tension #compression #kurilpabridge #bridge #footbridge #civilengineering #structuralengineering #engineer #themodernengineer #tensegrity #252cables (at Kurilpa Bridge)

Telephone engineer in London, 1925.

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