PUNCH Consulting Engineers for Precast Innovation.  The winning project showcases automation and digital technology, key elements in our industry’s drive toward modern methods of construction. In this project the Consulting Engineer collaborated with a leading manufacturer in precast concrete, Kilsaran, to develop an integrated, automated, computer-controlled production factory for pre-cast concrete components.

The project provides an additional 130m of berthing space along with 5,000 m2 of much needed hardstanding working space at the Middle Pier in the Howth Fishery Harbour Centre. The construction of the extended pier required the dredging of 6,000 m3 of soft silt. The recovered soft material was treated/ strengthened on site using a combination of cement and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) to provide the support base for 2,000m2 of the new hardstanding area. This reduced the overall carbon footprint of the project by avoiding offsite material disposal and the importation of new, processed granular fill.

A 17-storey, 73m high, office block, the tallest commercial building in the State, The Exo is a celebration of engineering. Innovative, bespoke solutions are present throughout and are, in some instances, a first for Irish Construction. The Exo Truss is a complex structure supporting the building at just three points, spanning 36m between cores, and cantilevering 21m at either end. The major design challenge was to reduce deflections at the tip of the cantilevers to a range compatible with glazing tolerances. The selected methodology was to prestress the steel diagonals, by hydraulic jacking, to remove elongation due to self weight prior to de-propping.

The largest sports air dome in the world housing a full sized GAA pitch with uses including sports, exhibition, and conference. Its 10,000 person capacity makes it one of Ireland’s largest indoor venues. Costing less than 1/6th of a conventional building, it can withstand 100 kph winds with a built in weather station to predict storm events. Current running costs are €150/day with PV panels offsetting energy costs with surplus power exported to the grid. This a highly innovative project which has brought significant benefits to the local and regional community at a low cost.

The scheme includes three pump stations, 550m of town centre flood walling and 785m of harbour frontage walling. It is characterised by an upstream, pastoral, remote controlled, 19.5hA storage area to control flood flow. This avoided 1.5km of flood defences up to 4m high and the canalisation of 1 km of natural river bank. The innovative use of this upstream storage is a key indicator of the value of considered engineering design. As well as saving on hard engineering solutions in an historic town, it led to a significant reduction in the embedded carbon footprint of the project.