NO.7 • DECEMBER 2008 - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Special Feature
專 題 介 紹
Now, less than 40 years later, the concept of performance based design has
entered the construction industry and represents a major philosophical shift
from the traditional rule based or prescriptive formula design. The introduction
of this concept takes advantage of the powerful software modeling systems
which have recently emerged and which are now being adopted by the
more adventurous, pioneering practitioners.
Software, in this category, includes computational fluid dynamics for
modeling the spread of fire and smoke. Computer systems for air
conditioning control are another type of software available. The systems are
linked to sensors and intelligently interpret information to optimize the use
of energy, but keep within the required comfort
parameters of the user.
資 訊 科 技 及 得 獎 項 目
(NIDA)
NIDA2000
Detailed graphical models are also being used
as central to the whole project information
systems. Some of these models enable the actual
construction sequences to be simulated and
displayed on the computer screen in fine realistic
detail. The obvious effect of this is to enable
the identification, in advance, possible site
problems, hence enhancing construction speed
and reducing wastage on all fronts.
IT and The Winning
Projects
To return to our theme and interest in the two
2008 JSD awards, the Science Park and the
MGM project, we must draw attention to the
contribution of Professor S.L. Chan, to these
structures. He developed a software package
Nonlinear Integrated Design and Analysis (NIDA) to enable advanced
structural analysis for predicting failure beyond the usual elastic range, and
extending to the stresses and deformations which occur up to the point of
structural collapse. The software was launched in 2000 and is the first of its
kind in Hong Kong. It makes faster, safer innovative design possible. It has
now been used in many real cases by pioneering practitioners. Examples
include, the Singapore International School, the glass wall of West Kowloon
station, the Birds Nest in Beijing.
The two JSD award winners amply illustrate the benefits accrued from the use
of such software, as opposed to the traditional use of prescriptive formula.
Not only does the NIDA software enable the aesthetics of a building to be
realized in the form of a slimmer and lighter appearance, it also enables
the creation of a building, which at one time would have been thought
not structurally possible. NIDA also enables a more economical use of
design time, materials and space. In the Science Park, dramatic examples
are provided by the ability of the new technology to create areas with
an atmosphere of unfettered space, such as the sweeping contours of the
amphitheatre . These innovative structures are not only exciting to view but
also fulfill their functional promise. Both designs made use of NIDA.
JSDNIDA
NIDA
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The American company MGM wanted to bring to Macau the feeling of Las
Vegas, with its sense of extravagance and land mark constructions. Again,
the NIDA software package was used and as for the Science Park, S.L.
Chan worked with the project teams, throughout the duration of the project,
contributing to the delivery of the unique constructions the company had in
mind. Visitors to Macau are provided with the unforgettable spectacle of the
extremely slender and unique wave frontage of the hotel tower as well as
the startling 60 metre wide, glass roofed conservatory, without any central
columns in sight.
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