Civil Engineering March 2022 | Vol 30 No 2

20 March 2022 Civil Engineering in such a way that global stability of the structure was obtained without compro- mising any of the views of the court area from below. Structural members were hidden within kiosks, gym equipment and even advertisement boards to ensure that the structure was as open as possible. In addition to the above, the connection detailing was carefully thought out as the architects insisted on having connections that were as small as possible. The structural frame was then cladded with bright red 3D triangles made of rebar. The cladding involved bending and welding six strands of Y8 reinforcement bars together to form a band. Each triangle was then formed by welding 30 of these bands of varying sizes together in a 3D triangular shape that resembles the geom- etry of the Nike logo. The tiles were ap- proximately 2 m × 4 m in size and weighed 200 kg each. Over 400 of these tiles were then hung from the social yard canopy to create an intricate web-like structure that provides shade for the social yard. Another challenging aspect of the project was in the creation of these rebar bands, as the Y8 bars had to be bent to a degree that was not possible using con- ventional machines. Stewart and Llyods forged special pins that allowed them to bend the rebar into shape and spent over two months creating the strands needed for the cladding structure. The Shapa Soweto social yard canopy is one of the world’s first uses of rebar as a cladding material and the raw look and feel of the steel speaks to the “grit” theme of the social park. The skate park The social space shaded by the canopy incorporates an outdoor gym and running track that wraps around a large skate park. The skate park layout was designed by a local professional skateboarder and includes a one-of-a-kind skating bowl in South Africa. The rammed earth Nike tower that rises out of the skate park forms a key fea- ture of the skate park and is an impressive 7 m tall. The concrete work to the skate- park included intricate curves and shapes which was all laid by hand. The riding surface had to be completely smooth, and joints had to be strategically positioned to avoid cracking of the skating surface. The social yard and skate park are surrounded by a combination of tall off-shutter reinforced concrete walls and exposed rammed earth walls. The rammed earth walls were created from local soils and bring an earthy and natural feel to the space for all to enjoy. CONCLUSION The Nike Shapa Soweto project was handed over to the client in December of 2021 and was completed within time and budget. The project is yet to be formally launched by Nike but has been in opera- tion since January 2022. The community of Soweto has bought into the facility and is actively involved in making Shapa Soweto a success. The facility plans to deliver afterschool programmes that will impact over 300 children across a variety of sports and give communities direct access to pro-athletes and trainers. The project is an exemplar of what private-public partnerships can achieve. The same energy and optimism that ran through the professional team, contractors, and community members involved in the project now resonates within the walls of the building itself. In the words of Caster Semenya: “First you build the human, then you build the athlete, and then you build the leader.”  Project Team Civil and structural engineering: Aspire Consulting Engineers Architects: C76 Architects Electrical engineering: One World Consulting Mechanical and fire engineering: Polygon Projects Main contractor: Billet Construction Steel construction (cladding and specialist items): Estee Automation Steel construction: Elpees Steelworks CC Steel reinforcement supply: Stewarts and Lloyds The cladding involved bending and welding six strands of Y8 reinforcement bars together to form a band. Each triangle was then formed by welding 30 of these bands of varying sizes together in a 3D triangular shape that resembles the geometry of the Nike logo. The social yard canopy from above The social yard under construction