Design and Construction Aspects of the Shard in London - Coursework Example

Design and construction aspects of the Shard in London Introduction The Shard in London also known as the Shard London Bridge and Shard of Glass is the tallest building in Western Europe measuring 310 meters. Piano and Piano (2012) noted that the Shard in London is one of the newest landmarks in the European Union with 87 floors that constitute part of the London Bridge Quarter development. The construction of the Shard was started in March 2009 and completed in July 2012. The building was designed by Renzo Piano an Italian architecture, working together with John Parker who was the project director for the structural engineers. The Shard is located in the busy parts of England and has office spaces, hotels, restaurants, and residential apartments (Littlefield, 2012). This paper is going to discuss in detail the summary of the project, outlining the scope of works, indicating the main parties involved and the responsibilities, the anticipated value and duration of the project and reasons why the project is being conducted. The paper will give an overview of the health, safety, and welfare risks associated with project at the construction stages stating how the risks were controlled. Finally, the paper will give an assessment of the potential impacts of the construction project on the environment and the steps that could have been taken at the construction stage to help mitigate the effects on the environment. Summary of the project The International Young Geotechnical Engineers’s Conference and Cui (2013) noted that the Shard in London is the tallest building in the European Union with its crystalline fascia transforming the skyline of London with a multi-use 310 m vertical city owned by the State of Qatar and Sellar property. The famous Italian architect Renzo Piano together with Broadway Malyan designed the Shard in 2000. The scope of the project was to ensure that building contained the most improved equipments and technologies that would make the Shard a modernized place (Powell, 2010). The building was to comprise excellent restaurants, offices of high quality, the best restaurants, a 5-star hotel, and public viewing galleries. The scope of the project also included the coverage of all the areas in the building to comply with Vodafone guidelines and Joint Operator Test Specifications (JOTS). Cellular Asset Management (CAM) completed all the work on the distribution of Antenna system and hence enabling the offices and other facilities in the Shard to have access to the internet and mobile network (Al-Kodmany and Ali, 2013). The main parties involved in the designing and construction of the Shard in London include architect Renzo Piano who designed the Shard using specialized glass windows with glazing that reflected lights in a distinctive ways. The glazes were designed to reflect the intensities of light in a way that changed the appearance of the Shard during different times of day and seasons. Hourihane (2012) stated that the constructions began in February 2009 when three huge cranes were set up and used to complete the building. Irvine Sellar who is the real estate developer of the Sellar Property Group commissioned the designs for the Shard and helped the Renzo make different changes to the initial designs hence coming up with the current building. Dupre and Smith (2013) confirmed that the conceptual designs used in the Shard were among the first in the United Kingdom to be improved after the publication of the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report on the collapse of the World Trade Center. Mace was greatly involved in the construction of the Shard, they played major roles such as preconstruction engineering, project management, construction management, and they were the main contractors (Parker and Wood,2013). According to the writings by Powell (2007), the anticipated value of the project was 435 million Euros and the duration of the project was four years, from March 2009 to July 2012. The project was conducted to provide the citizens in London a dominant landmark. The Shard was constructed to promote the economy in London by providing the citizens with improved facilities and technologies (Hopson, 2007). Health risks of the project Vallero and Brasier (2008) noted that the Shard is located in one of the busiest places in London where it is conveniently serviced by London’s transport facilities, infrastructure, and other amenities. There were many risks involved during the construction of the Shard because the building was taking place at a densely populated area in London. Penner et al. (2013) observed that the hazards that were associated with the constructors working on the high level building projects were evident and many of the individuals who were engaged in the project had never done their work at the altitude they encountered at the Southwark streets. The people walking and working around the construction sites of the Shard were at risk because of the sharp glass that were being used and the heavy machinery that was used in the construction. White (2012) noted the risk of instability of the frames during erection in the temporary condition, and complex connections that were causing difficulties during installation of the frames. Allinson and Thornton (2014) stated that the risks involved were controlled by carefully lifting the attachments to allow safe installations at different heights hence avoiding the risks of falling objects. The Mace constructors ensured that they worked closely with professional teams to manipulate the designs to suit the safe methods of instillation. Limited activities were done at the construction sites to reduce the chances of accidents. Fullman and Strachan (2013) noted that the constructors strengthened the connection details in order to cater for the additional forces due to the site method and conditions. To ensure safety during the construction period, designs of temporary works grillage were developed to allow the constructors to try installations off site in order to ensure the correct fit up all through erection. Impacts on the environment Taylor (2013) stated that the construction of the Shard at a place that was densely populated had various negative impacts on the environment during the construction stages. The construction of the Shard caused congestion in London, because it was taking place at a densely populated area and therefore the citizens had to change routes to access various facilities and to reach the transport sections. Congestion around the town could have caused outbreaks of diseases and increased criminal activities. The machines used in the construction caused air pollution because of the toxic gases emitted in the air. Some dangerous gases such as Sulphur emitted combine with moisture in the air to form Sulphuric acid that is poisonous to humans, corrodes metals, and destroys plants (Punter, 2009). The poisonous gases in the air destroy the ozone layer in the sky that makes the humans prone to the sunrays that cause skin cancer. Noise pollution is another environmental risk that was involved in the construction of the Shard because of the use of the heavy machines that produced loud noises while carrying building materials (Manns, 2014). The noise was a nuisance to the people working around the area in other important offices, to the sick people in hospitals and to the students in the schools around the area. The use of heavy machines caused vibrations on the ground, which is an environmental hazard. LeVay (2007) noted that the vibrations loosen the ground hence making it easy for other completed buildings to get destroyed during earthquakes and difficult for other facilities such as transport services to operate smoothly. The vibrations make it scary for pedestrians to walk around the construction that was located in the middle of the city due to fear of falling objects. The congestion in the city during the construction of the Shard could have been avoided by trying to locate the building in a different area other than the densely populated city hence enabling people to continue using their normal routes on their way to the transport facilities. The emission of poisonous gases could be reduced by using filters to absorb the gases hence preventing the risks involved. Allinson and Thornton confirmed that the constructors of the Shard in London took the initiative of reducing the noise and vibrations by adapting to the National planning policies for noise and vibration that was provided in Wales and England by the Policy Planning Guidance (PPG). The policies gave guidance to the local authorities in London to apply on their planning powers to reduce the adverse effects of noise and vibrations. Conclusion The Shard in London is the tallest building in the Western Europe and its crystalline fascia transforms London skyline, making it visible from most of the places in the city. The Shard contains excellent restaurants, high quality offices, a five star hotel, the best viewing galleries and world-class residential apartments. The parties involved in the construction of the Shard include Renzo Piano the architect, Sellar Property Group and Mace who were the main contractors. There were safety risks that were associated with the project such as falling of objects and the instability of frames during the installation, but the constructors devised ways to ensure their safety. The environmental hazards during the construction of the Shard included congestion, air pollution, noise, and vibration of the ground that was resolved as the construction of the Shard progressed in different stages. The Shard was constructed in four years, from 2009 to 2012 and is now open for the public to enjoy the facilities. References Allinson, K, and Thornton, V. (2014). Londons Contemporary Architecture: An Explorers Guide.New York., Routledge Al-kodmany, K., and Ali, M. M. (2013). The future of the city: tall buildings and urban design. Southampton, WIT Press. Dupré, J., and Smith, A. D. (2013). Skyscrapers: a history of the worlds most extraordinary buildings. New York, Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. Fullman, J., and Strachan, D. (2013). Frommers London 2013. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley. Hopson, P. M. (2007). Geology of the Salisbury district: a brief explanation of geological map : sheet 298 Salisbury. Keyworth, Nottingham, British Geological Survey. Hourihane, C. (2012). The Grove encyclopedia of medieval art and architecture. New York, Oxford University Press. International young geotechnical engineers conference, and Cui, Y. J. (2013). Proceedings of the 5th International Young Geotechnical Engineers Conference: 5th iYGEC 2013. Le vay, B. (2007). Eccentric London: the Bradt guide to Britains crazy and curious capital. Chalfont St. Peter, Bradt Travel Guides. Littlefield, D. (2012). London (re)generation. Chichester, Wiley. Manns, J. (2014). Kaleidoscope city: reflections of planning and London. Parker,D and Wood,A. (2013). The Tall Buildings Reference Book.New York,Routledge Penner H,Adams L,Rutes W.(2013). Hotel Design, Planning and Development.New York.,Routledge Piano, R., and Piano, L. (2012). The Shard: London Bridge Tower. [Genova, Italy], Fondazione Renzo Piano. Powell, K. (2010). 21st-century London: the new architecture. London, Merrell. Powell, K. (2007). New London architecture 2. London [u.a.], Merrell. Punter,J.(2009). Urban Design and the British Urban Renaissance.New York.,Routledge. Taylor,L.,(2013). The Shard Chronicles: Book One: the Naissance.Manchester,UK.Liam Taylor. Vallero, D. A., and Brasier, C. (2008). Sustainable design: the science of sustainability and green engineering. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley. White,K.(2012). Moon Living Abroad in London.Chico,California.,Avalon Travel. APPENDIX: IMAGES Figure 1: An oblique view of the Shard (london24). Fig2: shows laying foundation of the shard.(secretlondon) Fig 3: An image showing the Shard during the construction stages (Rob Telford) Read More