21
june 2014
international
construction
REGIONALREPORT: ASIAPACIFIC
Pace-settingAsia
Advanced technology
since1964
RELIABILITY
PRODUCTIVITY
COMFORT
FUEL
CONSUMPTION
MACHINE
OF THEYEAR 2014
TF42.7Hybrid
GoldMedal
for innovation
NewTurbofarmer
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Machineof theyear2014
Multifarmer40.9
Milestones in thehistory
ofagriculturalmachinery
China, where the new terminal building in Kowloon alone is
budgeted to costHK$ 9 billion (US$ 1.16 billion).
Thecontractor for theWestKowloonTerminusStation (North)
is a joint venture between Leighton and Gammon, which is
using RMD Kwikform formwork and shoring equipment for
one of themost challenging aspects of the build, theTerminus’s
iconic entrance building, which consists of a dramatic roof
structuremade up of three steel trusses, a huge sloping concrete
beam and a concrete arch.
The concrete beam – known as P1 on the project, consists
of six unique 4 m deep, sloping, cantilevered beams and eight
bespoke ‘dragon’ shaped concrete sections spanning between
eachbeam. At three locations along the lengthof thebeam there
are huge cast-in situ elementswhere the steel roof connects.The
tight tolerances meant the design of the formwork and shoring
had to be precisely engineered.
Rory O’Gara, senior project engineer for RMD Kwikform
in Hong Kong said, “It was apparent that we would need to
use a combination of heavy duty, birdcage,
proprietary and special items for this challenge.
RMD Kwikform designed a 17 m high heavy-
dutyworking platform consisting of 600 tonnes
of Megashor shoring, supporting bespoke and
proprietary beams,made byRMDKwikform. A
tension-onlybracing systembuilt toHongKong
wind codes also had to be incorporated into the
solution.The platformswere designed tobe pre-
fabricated into 5.4 m high units, significantly
reducing the need for working at height and
giving safe operative access from the foundation
level towithin 3m of the cantilever beam.”
Discussing the Eastern Arch aspect of the
construction, Adrian Clamp, construction
director of theLeighton-Gammon JV said, “The
Eastern Arch is another highly complex aspect
of this project, where working closely with
the RMD Kwikform engineers proved highly
beneficial. It is a three-box culvert structure
with itswall heights changing continuously.The
base slope is also changing constantly across two
planes and the base slab depth, wall thickness
and top slab depth also change at regular
intervals along its length. As part of the design we also needed
the arch to be supported at three points by ‘K’ shaped circular
columns thatweneededRMDKwikform to specially fabricate.”
Thedesignof theEasternArchwasmade increasingly complex
by the necessity to meet other project demands and maintain
access routes around the site. This made the construction
sequence unconventional as the archwill remain three quarters
complete for over a year, meaning the shoring needs to remain
in place.
MrClamp added, “As one of the biggest constructionprojects
everundertaken inHongKong, thiswas always going toprovide
a number of interesting challenges.Working closelywithRMD
Kwikform engineers on several key aspects of the entrance
building has helped us remain on schedule, to meet the tight
construction deadlines.”
This all goes to show that while theAsian constructionmarket
could arguably be more active, there is no shortage of major
projects in the region.
iC
