Concept render. Anchor bolts and fixing details omitted for clarity.
- Project: Stainless steel winged sculpture with cross, on a concrete column and plinth
- Client: Catholic college, Melbourne
- Sector: Public art and monuments
- Scope: Structural design, strength calculations and concrete reinforcement design
The brief
This project covered the structural design of a freestanding stainless steel sculpture for a Catholic college in Melbourne. The design features curved stainless steel wings with feathered edges and a stainless steel cross, rising from a precast concrete column on a solid concrete plinth.
The sculpture needed to keep its slender, elegant form while standing safely outdoors for many years, in a school grounds open to students, staff and visitors.
The design
Sculptures like this need the artist’s vision and sound engineering to work together. Every element was designed so the finished piece looks exactly as intended, with no visible bulky brackets and no compromise on strength.
Structural calculations were carried out to confirm the strength of the stainless steel wings and cross, and the reinforcement for the precast concrete column and plinth was designed to suit.
The most challenging part of the project was the column itself. Its triangular cross-section is far less common than a square or round column, so the strength and reinforcement calculations had to be developed specifically for its shape, rather than taken from standard tables.
The wings are anchored to the concrete plinth with concealed bolts. These, along with other fixing details, are omitted from the render for clarity. Because the sculpture stands in a school environment, safety was considered throughout, from the stability of the structure to the finish of every exposed edge.
Outcome
The college received a complete structural design backed by calculations, with the concrete reinforcement detailed for construction, giving the fabricator and builder everything needed to build the sculpture with confidence. The project shows our capability in stainless steel structures, concrete design and non-standard structural elements.