Bird’s Nest, China

Background

Fast Flow reached a historic milestone upon completing the roof drainage system for the Beijing National Stadium, the spectacular centerpiece of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Challenges

More popularly known as the Bird’s Nest, the stadium’s complex latticework exterior made buildability a primary challenge. The roof drainage’s design and installation system had to not only meet the aesthetic requirements of the stadium but also take into consideration the green objective of the architectural wonder.

Solutions

Our team’s proposal of a siphonic drainage system made out of stainless steel was awarded for implementation, as it conformed to all requirements concerning build ability, system performance, efficiency and aesthetics. Zero-gradient pipe works and much smaller pipe size gave the system greater flexibility and left ample room for the other services to be installed. When the slightest miscalculation could cost millions of dollars, the precision of the FastFlowCALC© software was also a critical advantage.

Fast Flow’s siphonic design eliminated most of the downpipes and hid those that were needed. It also reduced high-maintenance civil works by ruling out hundreds of metres of underground pipes and corresponding manholes.

Outcome

The result was nothing less than a work of art and a lasting legacy in China.