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Although this seems tediously slow by modern standards, it has been estimated that the computer calculations saved almost 10 years of human work. In addition, preparation of the input data took almost three weeks. The most complex framework analysed in the design of the Opera House had 136 joints and took the computer nearly four hours to analyse the five load cases. The program that was adapted for the analysis was originally designed for structures with 18 or fewer joints.
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Detail of one of the concrete sails at the intersection of two shells. However, even Ove Arup was humbled by the task, which required the iterative and ever evolving design of a complex, three-dimensional structure: ‘It is difficult to visualise how the necessary calculations could have been made without ’. All calculations were carried out manually, with the assistance of slide rules, logarithmic tables, and very rarely with calculating devices. Until the design of the Sydney Opera House, structural engineers working in the building industry had not used computers for structural analysis. A precast concrete rib being craned into place.
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By fabricating similar elements forming part of a spherical geometry, it was possible to maximise the use of repetitive elements in the construction of the shells. The final solution involved forming each shell with segmented post-tensioned, precast concrete ribs, all having their external surfaces described by the same sphere. Arup canvassed at least 12 iterations for the geometry of the shells, ranging from parabolas to arcs to ellipsoids.
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While the base of the building was constructed, Arup and his team spent six years working with Utzon, refining the design of the roof to arrive at a solution that was architecturally pleasing, structurally sufficient and relatively cost effective. Concrete beams spanning over the concourse entry. This was because the shape of the roof introduced large bending moments, regardless of any conceivable structural system. When head engineer Ove Arup and his team began their preliminary design of the roof, they quickly realised that the thin shell Utzon had envisaged would not be possible. In submitting the winning design, the architect, Jørn Utzon, conceived the scheme of the roof without any engineering consultation or advice. As well as being a successful artistic hub, the architectural status of the Opera House has been confirmed by its inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Each year it is host to more than 2000 performances that are attended by more than 1.5 million people. Over forty years have passed since the Sydney Opera House was officially opened. All the while, the state government had to continually convince the public (and themselves) that this was all was worth the price tag of €620 million (in today’s money). Architectural critics condemned its form as lacking function while engineers, taking cues from the designs of Nervi and Candela, argued that the roof was structurally illogical. It took 16 years of design and construction to realise this architectural monument and, with its final cost over 10 times the initial budget, the project was never far from the eye of the public.
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Design and construction of the Sydney Opera House roof sails - download the full article here.Īlmost every time I tell someone from The Netherlands that I grew up in Sydney, they can’t help telling me how much they’d love to visit the Sydney Opera House! I know I’m surrounded by engineering and architecture enthusiasts here in Delft and I can’t argue with them! With its white sailed roof, set on the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House is arguably one of the most iconic structures of the 20th century.