Civil Engineering March 2022 | Vol 30 No 2

Civil Engineering March 2022 19 The theme chosen for the project was “Grit”, a word that resonates with courage and determination. The project team took it upon themselves to create a facility that embodied this theme. This speaks to the raw and natural choice in materials throughout the facility such as the rammed earth walls, a rebar-tilled canopy structure, smooth and rough concrete surfaces as well as the wooden cladding feature that can be seen on the main building faÇade. CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS The project scope involved renovation works to the existing football training facility as well as the introduction of a new social yard, skate park, running track, two five-a-side soccer fields and two new FIFA-accredited football fields. Main building renovations The renovation of the existing football training facility involved a full reconfigura- tion of the interior layout of the building and the construction of an additional floor within the building itself. The new floor level needed to “float” within the space as ad- ditional columns were not allowed owing to the area’s use for dance and training studios. Aspire Consulting designed shallow steel trusses that spanned over 10 m and carried precast hollow-core slabs. The use of trusses rather than castellated beams allowed for greater head heights within the spaces and also proved to be a more cost-effective solu- tion. The diagonals of the trusses were con- figured in such a way that the mechanical ducting and ventilation requirements could fit through them. The combination of struc- tural steel and precast sections allowed for speedy and quality construction wherein the structural elements and soffits of the slabs could remain exposed. The social yard canopy The social yard space offers the commu- nity an event area and break-away space from the hustle and bustle of Soweto. The space has been created as a shaded area that overlooks a central basketball court which can double up as an entertainment venue when required. The main feature in the social yard is an enormous bright red structural steel canopy that immediately grabs your attention. The structure is approximately 2 500 m 2 in size and comprises a network of tubular girders and bracing members that soar over the social yard. The frame also incorporates an impressive 8 m long cantilever “flick” at the main pedestrian entrance of the facility that embodies Nike’s commitment to creativity and innovation. The 750 mm deep structural girders that create the superstructure run in two directions and were factory welded together in assemblies of 12 m to 23 m in length. Aspire Consulting took the trans- porting of these girders into consideration and strategically designed and positioned the bolted connections between the various girders in such a way that the entire structure could be assembled on site like a Meccano set, and went as far as providing the steel contractor with an installation sequence manual. The team worked relentlessly on the design of this structure to ensure that the column and girders were spaced out 7 m rammed earth tower in the skate park The 8 m long cantilever “flick” at the main pedestrian entrance View of the Nike Shapa Soweto training facility from the sports field