The designers of flagship projects took home one of the most prestigious professional awards for the Mérnöki Kamara

The Structural Engineering Section of Magyar Mérnöki Kamara established the Év Tartószerkezete-díj award. This professional accolade recognises structural engineers who have demonstrated outstanding engineering achievement. The aim of the award is to enhance the prestige of the profession and to raise the profile of structural engineering work amongst the general public. The judging panel also assesses innovative structural solutions, the economical and sustainable use of materials, and harmonious integration with the architectural concept.

As reported by mernokvagyok.hu: the Structural Design of the Year awards were presented this year at the IV. Menyhárd István Emléknap és Szakmai Konferencia gala dinner on 25 September. Based on the decision of the expert jury, winners were announced in three categories, whilst two entries received special awards.

ANNUAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AWARD – ROAD BRIDGE CATEGORY

Design of Tomori Pál híd

Structural Design: CÉH zRt., in collaboration with Pont-TERV Zrt.

Lead designer: Pál Pusztai

A key feature of the new 946-metre-long Danube bridge is the hybrid extradosed river-crossing bridge with a 200-metre central span. The steel trapezoidal girders, the reinforced concrete deck and bottom slabs, the extradosed cables and the tensioning systems function as a single integrated structural system. The design process also covered the entire sequence of cantilever construction phases.

FOOTBRIDGE CATEGORY

Velencei gyalogos- és kerékpáros híd

Structural Design: FŐMTERV Zrt.

Lead designer: Ádám Balogh

The bridge, with a steel arched main girder spanning nearly 80 metres, crosses the widened, ten-lane junction section of the M7 motorway without any intermediate motorway supports. The structural variants were examined using parametric modelling; in the final structural system, the deck acts as a tension member, whilst a sloping reinforced concrete strut also contributes to the load-bearing capacity.

BUILDING CATEGORY

MVM Dome

Structural Design: KÖZTI Zrt., CEOS Kft., bim.GROUP Kft., BAUER Magyarország Kft.

Designers in charge: Ákos Pohl, Csaba Lódri

The multifunctional arena in Budapest is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe. Its structural system comprises a long-span steel roof, a reinforced concrete structure supported by eight stiffening cores and free of expansion joints, and an outward-leaning, partly prefabricated column frame. The design of this particularly complex structure was supported by BIM-based coordination and algorithmic geometric processing, which also played a key role in coordinating manufacturing and construction.

ENTRIES AWARDED SPECIAL PRIZES:

SPECIAL AWARD FOR THE YEAR’S PERMANENT STRUCTURE – SUSTAINABILITY CATEGORY

A hotel with a reinforced concrete and timber hybrid structure at Vienna Airport

Structural Design: Gschwandtl Lindlbauer ZT GmbH

Lead designer: Máté Sztojka

The ground floor and structural cores of the 510-room hotel, covering approximately 17,000 m², are made of reinforced concrete, whilst the walls and floors of the upper storeys are constructed from CLT panels. The hybrid system, which is largely prefabricated and based on dry assembly, enabled rapid construction. According to the operator, at the time of handover, the building was the world’s largest timber-framed hotel.

ANNUAL STRUCTURAL AWARD – HISTORIC BUILDING RESTORATION CATEGORY

Inspection and reinforcement of the structures above the Magyar Állami Operaház lecture theatre

Designers: Gábor Bimbó and Péter Rabb

The aim of the project was to identify the structural requirements necessary for the long-term preservation of the Lotz fresco and to carry out targeted reinforcement of the historic structures. The investigation covered the complex interaction between the János Feketeházy steel truss structure, the smoke extraction cylinder and the historic wooden roof truss. The intervention followed the principle of minimal necessary reinforcement, with subsequent geodetic verification.