Partners: the consulting engineers, Ove
engineers, Ove Arup and Partners, structural, and G. H. Buckle and Partners. mechanical and electrical: and the contractors. John Laing Construction. Ltd.
April Start on Tallest
Concrete Tower
ANOTHER claimant to the title Tallest Concrete Tower in the World is the £25 million Carlton Centre com- mercial development in Johannesburg, on which work will start this month.
Centrepiece of the development will be a 51-storey office tower. 730 ft. high. The complex will also in- clude a 37-storey hotel, a shopping centre containing 150 shops, two department stores and parking facilities for 3.000 cars.
The fully air conditioned office tower will have an observation tower on the top, recessed windows to pre- vent the glare of direct sunlight, and uninterrupted floor
materials associated with prestressing as well as models and photographs of prestressed concrete structures.
The three main parts of the congress will be: a world wide survey of research work currently being un- dertaken on prestressed concrete: the presentation and discussion of the reports of the ten commissions and committees set up by the FIP itself, or in collaboration with other organizations, on a wide range of subjects related to prestressed concrete: and a presentation of reports by member groups on outstanding prestressed concrete structures built since the last congress.
Contract for First Stage of Perth Motorway
THE Main Roads Department of Western Australia has awarded a $A2 million contract to a consortium compris- ing J.O. Clough & Son Pty., Ltd., of Perth, and Kier. Ltd., of London, for the construction of the first section of the $A20 million Mitchell freeway project which will form the western side of a $A100 million motorway box route in the City of Perth.
Work covered by the contract now let includes the construction of approximately 1/3rd mile of dual 35 ft. carriageway in cutting, the construction of two over- bridges, an underbridge and extensive retaining walls to the cutting, and the realignment of some 2,000 ft. of ancillary road.
Earthworks involve some 320,000 cu, yd. of sand excavation and 20,000 cu. yd. of fill. The two overbridges will be three span structures. One has spans of 100 ft.. 80 ft. and 60 ft., with piers founded on spread footings. The piers of the second overbridge, which has three spans of 70 ft., are carried on piled foundations. Piers will be up to 27 ft, high and some 1,100 reinforced con- crete piles will be used for pier and abutment foundations. The bridge decks will be of reinforced concrete, cellular construction.
The consulting engineers to the Main Roads Depart- ment of Western Australia are De Leuw. Cather & Co.. of Chicago.
Carlton Centre's office tower and hotel
space. The hotel will have 405 bedrooms. 90 luxury apartments and a ballroom accommodating 900.
Carlton Centre is being promoted jointly by Anglo- American Corporation of South Africa, Ltd.. and The South Africa Breweries, Ltd. Architects are Skidmore. Owings and Merrill, of New York and W. Rhodes-Har- rison, Hoffe and Partners, Johannesburg.
Structural engineers are Paul Weidlinger of New York in association with Ove Arup and Partners, Johan- nesburg, and the mechanical engineers are Syska and Hennessy Inc. of New York in association with Watson. Edwards and Van der Spuy of Johannesburg.
Programme for World Prestressing Congress in Paris
PROVISIONAL replies indicate that over 3,000 delegates from all parts of the world will visit Paris from June 11 to 18 this year to take part in the Fifth Congress of the Federation Internationale de la Precontrainte.
A party of more than 100 is expected from the USSR alone.
The Palais de Chaillot will be the venue for all the technical sessions of the Congress and an adjoining building will hold an exhibition of equipment and
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Decline in Work for Architects
ACCORDING to the Royal Institute of British Architects, the value of new commissions for private architects in Britain fell again in the last quarter of 1965.
The decline which followed the restrictions of July seems to have levelled off, for the fall between the third and fourth quarters was under 5 per cent. compared with a fall of nearly 15 per cent. between the second and third quarters of 1965.
Commissions from public authorities have fallen by a further 14 per cent., but by the end of the year, the declining trend of commissions from the public sector had probably been reversed. New commissions for housing and industrial work were slightly higher in the fourth quarter than they were in the third.
Between July 27 and September 18 £197 million public work and £349 million private work was either abandoned or postponed. In the fourth quarter of 1965 it is estimated that £49 million of this work was restarted but that a further £196 million has been abandoned or postponed.
Start on Pakistan International Airport
TAYLOR Woodrow International Ltd., London, contrac- tors for the new Ocean Terminal. Hong Kong, started work last month on a £44 million contract for a new international airport at Dacca, East Pakistan, for Pakistan International Airlines Corporation.
The contract includes construction of the main runway, taxiways and aprons, involving nearly 21⁄2 million cu.yd. of earthmoving and the placing of more than 270,000 cu.yd, of concrete. It is due to be finished early
in 1968.
Far East Architect & Builder May, 1966
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