Makatote Rail Viaduct receives prestigious accolade at 2017 Structural Awards
Rejuvenation of the heritage Makatote Rail Viaduct
Engineer: Opus International Consultants
Winner: The Award for Structural Heritage

Last night, The Institution of Structural Engineers announced the winners of The Structural Awards 2017, at a glittering awards ceremony at The Brewery, London. The rejuvenation of the heritage Makatote rail viaduct in New Zealand was amongst the winning projects, scooping-up the prestigious Award for Structural Heritage.

The winners were chosen from a shortlist of 45 pioneering global projects which showcased the ingenuity and expertise of the engineers behind them.
A diverse range of structures, from temples to tourist attractions, were recognised across 14 categories which singled-out engineering excellence and highlighted the important role played by structural engineers in the building journey.

The judging panel, made up of a distinguished group of industry experts, commented on the ‘ elegant, non-intrusive detailing of the strengthening procedures’, such as new tension rods hidden behind existing structural members, meaning that the heritage aspects of the viaduct have been fully maintained, while enabling increased loading from modern railway traffic. The judges were of the view that the engineers, Opus International Consultants, have given a new lease of life for an iconic heritage viaduct.

The Christchurch Arts Centre - Block C was also commended in the Structural Heritage category, and the seismic strengthening of the Majestic Centre in Wellington, received a commendation in the Sustainability category. Both projects were completed by engineers Holmes Consulting.

British Airways i360, Brighton, United Kingdom
Engineer: Jacobs
Winner: The Supreme Award for Structural Excellence & Award for Tall or Slender Structure
The overall winner on the evening was the British Airways i360 in Brighton, received the hotly contested Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence. This particular award celebrates the year’s finest example of structural engineering design.
Institution Chief Executive, Martin Powell, comments: “When you think you’ve seen it all, another year of exemplary entries are received elevating structural engineering, yet again, to another level. We have witnessed some breath-taking projects at this year’s awards, featuring ingenious use of materials and new construction methods to create buildings, bridges and landmarks that inspire.
Jet D’Eau, Geneva, Switzerland
Engineer: INGENI SA
Winner: The Award for Pedestrian Bridges
“Congratulations to our award winners and thank you to all those that entered – you’ve made this an outstanding year for the industry. Each project celebrates the very essence of structural engineering, recognising structural engineers as the guardians of public safety and innovative, problem-solving design professionals. ”
Now in its 50th year, these prestigious annual awards celebrate the world’s most outstanding achievements and demonstrate the diversity of structural engineering, recognising e xcellence, creativity and innovation, as well as sustainability, economic viability and value for money.
The Pump House, London
Engineer: Webb Yates Engineers
Winner: The Award for Small Projects (of under £1 Million)
The full list of winners and projects can be viewed at www.structuralawards.org.
Downloadable images of the winning projects are available on the following link: https://we.tl/VbDscHH5zH
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The Structural Awards 2017
Category winners :
- The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence
• British Airways i360 at Brighton
• Structural Engineer: Jacobs
- The Award for Tall or Slender Structures
• British Airways i360 at Brighton
• Structural Engineer: Jacobs
- The Award for Long Span Structures
• San Mames Football Stadium Cable Roof Extension
• Structural Engineer: IDOM
- The Award for Vehicle Bridges
• Destructor Bridge
• Structural Engineer: COWI (formerly Flint & Neill)
- The Award for Pedestrian Bridges
• The new mobile walkway of Geneva's Jet d'Eau
• Structural Engineer: INGENI SA
- The Award for Small Projects (of under £1 million)
• The Pump House
• Structural Engineer: Webb Yates Engineers
- The Award for Small Projects (of between £1-3 million)
• Adele 25 Stage
• Structural Engineer: OPS Structures Ltd
- The Award for Structures in Extreme Conditions
• MeyGen Phase 1A
• Structural Engineer: Robert Bird Group
- The Award for Structural Heritage
• Rejuvenation of the heritage Makatote rail viaduct
• Structural Engineer: Opus International Consultants
- The Award for Structural Transformation
• The Design Museum
• Structural Engineer: ARUP
- The Award for Construction Innovation
• TallWood House at Brock Commons
• Structural Engineer: Fast + Epp
- The Award for Construction Integration
• National Taichung Theater
• Structural Engineer: ARUP
- The Award for Structural Artistry
• Bahá’í Temple of South America
• Structural Engineer: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger|Patricio Bertholet M.|Halcrow|Josef Gartner GmbH
- The Award for Outstanding Value
• ElevArch
• Structural Engineer: Freyssinet/BHA
- The Award for Sustainability
• The Enterprise Centre
• Structural Engineer: BDP

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