Renderings Courtesy of 360 Architecture The oculus design by 360 Architecture, with engineer Buro Happold, for the convertible roof of a $1.2-billion multipurpose stadium in Atlanta represents a radical departure from kinetic roofs of other sports facilities.The stadium design also calls for a novel 58-ft-tall "halo" scoreboard hung from the rim of the opening. Construction of the 1.8-million-sq-ft facility for football's Atlanta Falcons began last month, by the Holder Hunt Russell Moody Joint Venture. After the 71,000-seat stadium opens in 2017, the nearby Georgia Dome will be razed.

Graphic Courtesy of WindEEE Research Institute The above simulation of the velocity field in the core of a tornado was part of the conceptual design process for WindEEE. Photo Courtesy of the WindEEE Research Institute A scale model of a two-story house, under study for roof failure, has openings to simulate windows broken by a tornado. Related Links: Communities Ramp up Tornado Defenses A three-story, $30-million hexagonal wind tunnel in Canada can recreate tornadoes and capture data to serve as a basis for developing twister-resistant structural design. It is the first facility of its kind in the world, says its

Related Links: SEI/CASE BIM Survey SEAoNY Structural engineers are using building information modeling in greater numbers, according to a recent survey. Yet few firms report that they are sharing BIMs with contractors.Two-thirds of the responding structural engineers surveyed last year say they are using BIM, compared with one-third in 2008. The fifth annual BIM survey, conducted by the BIM committee of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE), with the Structural Engineers Association of Texas, went to more than 20,000 structural firms. The response rate was about 5%."The majority of the respondents are not

Photo Courtesy Suffolk Construction On April 26, general contractor Suffolk Construction managed the largest continuous concrete mat placement in the city of Boston's history at the downtown Millennium Tower development.Hudson, Mass.-based subcontractor S&F Concrete marshalled 600 concrete trucks to cast 6,000 cu yd of concrete for the foundation of the $700-million building. The continuous cast lasted 36 hours, starting at 4:00 a.m. The foundation's 8-ksi-concrete mat averages 6½ ft in depth.It cost $6 million to put in place, including both the concrete and reinforcing bar. The mat will support a 625-ft-tall building with 1.4 million sq ft of space.

Dodge Construction Momentum Index for March 2014 The Dodge Momentum Index retreated 0.8% in March compared to February, according to McGraw Hill Construction. The index is a monthly measure of the initial reports for non-residential building projects entering the planning stage, a lead indicator of construction spending within the next year. The March index was 113.8, down from a revised 114.8 in February and 118.3 in January. New plans for commercial buildings fell 1%, as declines in offices and hotels offset an increase in retail buildings, Dodge says.Construction Employment Still Heading in a Positive Direction Construction's unemployment numbers continue to

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia. Related Links: Luanda Institute of Planning an Urban Management website (in Portuguese) Broadway Malyan news release London-based global architecture and urbanism practice Broadway Malyan has been selected to deliver an urban growth plan for Angola’s capital, Luanda.The company, which has operations in Asia, Europe and North America, won an international city-planning competition to accommodate, by 2030, a population of 13 million people in Luanda, which now has an estimated six million people.Malyan said in a statement that it would work closely with the Luanda Institute of Planning and Urban Management and a team of consultants, including

Photo by Eric Laignel The interior fit-out project created offices, workspaces, conference rooms, a 150-seat auditorium and galleys. Related Links: http://enr.construction.com/bonus_regions/midatlantic/2013/1216-best-interior-designtenant-improvement-project.asp Best Interior Design/Tenant Improvement Project Located in the recently built 1000 Connecticut Building in downtown Washington, D.C., Arent Fox's 235,000-sq-ft leased space is spread across levels Nos. 2 through 8 and portions of the first level. The interior fit-out project created offices, workspaces, conference rooms, a 150-seat auditorium and galleys.Despite the complex design features and nine-month schedule, the project was delivered on time. There were no lost-time accidents or OSHA-recordable incidents during the 100,000 work-hours logged on the job.Project

Related Links: Another 'Death Ray' Building Heats Up Reflective Solar Rays Two developers say they will spend several million dollars on the facade of London’s 37-floor “Walkie Talkie” skyscraper to prevent the solar glare that caused scorching damage in the adjacent street last summer (ENR 9/16/13 p. 20).Lightweight, 38-centimeter-long metal fins, or brise soleile, will be fixed to the curved south facade of the building at 20 Fenchurch St. in a six-month operation, subject to planning approval from the local authority. Eight levels of fins are planned for each floor, from No. 3 to No. 34.Solar-glare investigations ordered by the

Photo courtesy of Fentress Architects Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, Denver Related Links: Judicial Center Completed Two Months Early 2013 Best of the Best Projects Winners The 600,000-sq-ft Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center (CJC) capped a prominent, important project for the state of Colorado. The site is situated along the perimeter of Denver's historic Civic Center Park and next door to the state capitol.Designed to create a more efficient state judicial system, the CJC consolidates seven judicial and legal agencies that had leased office space in 10 different Denver locations.The halls and floor of the four-story glass atrium

Photo Courtesy Silverstein Properties After five years of construction, 4 WTC—the first tower on the original 16-acre World Trade Center site—was set to open on Nov. 13.Designed by Fumihiko Maki, the 977-ft-tall office building is the shortest of the four towers planned for the site. Tishman Construction is the construction manager for the 2.3-million-sq-ft structure as well as for 1 WTC, which is set to open early next year, and 3 WTC, a 1,170-ft tower whose eight-story podium is nearly completed. Two WTC has so far been built to street level. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey