Structural Analysis: Olympic Statue

The Story:
Hosting the Olympic Games is a privilege that brings with it positive change and growth to the host city and begins as soon as the bid is accepted. During the six years of preparation for the 1996 summer games held in Atlanta, Georgia the Olympic committee commissioned multiple major works of sculpture and architecture in the new Centennial Olympic Park where the games would be held.

One of the sculptures, called World Events by British artist Tony Cragg, incited much enthusiasm but also a certain concern for safety. The plan for World Events called for the sculpture, a mesh of human figures welded together to create the form of a man holding a ball, to be 26 feet tall. The complexity of the design made for an intriguing example of public sculpture, but at 26 feet tall the committee had to ensure its structural integrity before installing it in the Centennial Olympic Park.                                                                                     return to full slide show

The Challenge:  
Create a 3D CAD model that will enable the structural engineering firm Uzun & Case to analyze the structure of a five-foot tall bronze scale model of World Events to ensure the integrity of the final 26-foot tall sculpture.                                                                                                                                                                                  return to full slide show

The Solution:

• Digitally capture the joints and dimensional properties for each part within the model
• Create a 3D CAD model using the captured data points.                                                                                
  

Based on the accurate 3D data the engineering team also noticed an area where a slight change could also lead to cost savings in the creation of the 26-foot tall sculpture.                                                            return to full slide show

Click here to read more about the project on the Direct Dimensions Website.
Click here to read an article about the project in the Baltimore Sun.
Click here to view the project on the Uzun & Case Website.

 

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