News magazine about engineering, environmental science and economics. No. 13, May 2006
New playhouse
based on
square root
principle
2
African lake
a ticking bomb
New supermaterial
for tunnels
News magazine about engineering, environmental science and economics. No. 13, May 2006
New playhouse
based on
square root
principle
2
New supermaterial
for tunnels
cowifeature – International news
magazine about engineering,
environmental science and economics. cowifeature is published in
Danish and English and distributed
to clients, business partners and
employees
Editors
John Jørgensen (editor-in-chief),
jhj@cowi.dk
Christina Tækker, cht@cowi.dk
Susanne Junge, sgn@cowi.dk
Lotte Lykke Pedersen, llp@cowi.dk
Translation
LanguageWire
Design & layout
Josina W. Bergsøe, jwb@cowi.dk
Patrick Andresén, pca@cowi.dk
Hanne Bjørn Nielsen, hbn@cowi.dk
Editorial input closed on
24 April 2006.
Reproduction is permitted with
appropriate source references.
Print run 13,000
Production: Schultz Grafisk
ISSN 1600-6186
New, sustainable wastewater
treatment technology will draw
tourists back to paradise island 30
fe
Sa
African lake
a ticking bomb
Picking up the
pieces on Phi Phi
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pa
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Se
a
bla t be
of ck b lt alar
o
m
t
th echn xes to s and
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p
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14
Published by
COWI A /S
Parallelvej 2,
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Tel +45 45 97 22 11 Fax +45 45 97 22 12
www.cowi.com
Cover
New playhouse taking shape.
Photo: Stig Stasig
COWI is a leading northern European
consulting group. We provide stateof-the-art services within the fields of
engineering, environmental science
and economics with due consideration
for the environment and society.
COWI is a leader within its fields
because cowi’s 3300 employees are
leaders within theirs.
28
New gateway
Tall towers are changing
the skyline of Bahrain
Gas for power production
At 485 metres deep, Lake Kivu is one of the
deepest lakes in the world. On the lakebed,
bacteria breaks down organic material into
methane gas and carbon dioxide. Every year
about 120-250 million m³ of natural gas are
formed – enough to produce around 100 MW
of power. It is estimated that the lake
contains 50 billion m³ of methane.
Like shaking champagne
An eruption in the lake could possibly be
triggered by a combination of excessive
quantities of gas in the water combined with
an extraneous impact – such as a large
quantity of lava flowing to the bottom of the
lake. Such an eruption would be comparable
to a well-shaken bottle of champagne. A
broad stream of water saturated with gas
would shoot about 80 metres up into the air,
releasing the gas into the atmosphere and
probably asphyxiating all life within a wide
radius. This is what happened in Cameroon
in 1986 when Lake Nyos, which is much
smaller than Lake Kivu, witnessed a similar
eruption that killed over 1,700 people.
African lake is a
ticking
bomb
High-technology project
aims to bring gas-filled
lake in Rwanda under
control and convert the
gas into energy. Farreaching perspectives for
Rwanda’s economy and
environment
By Eva Isager
The gas is washed out of the water
A platform on the lake will collect the gas,
clean and compress it and send the resulting
natural gas onshore, where a power plant
will convert it in to energy for delivery to the
national electricity supply company. The
technology for collecting the gas is novel,
whereas the technology of cleaning is
essentially that used in the process of
purifying polluted air. Lake water full of gas
and carbon dioxide is piped from the lakebed
up to the surface, where a vessel separates
the gas from the water and carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide is then partially
returned to the lake.
Lake Kivu, on the border between Rwanda and
The Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, is
one of the most dangerous lakes in the world. It is also
considered among the most beautiful lakes in all of Africa,
surrounded by green hills, fields and virgin forest.
The danger presented by the 2,400 km² lake is concealed
under the almost perpetually becalmed surface. The lakebed
produces methane gas and carbon dioxide in such enormous
quantities that it is in all probability only a question of time
before an eruption occurs and releases the choking gas.
The result would be a human catastrophe. In a worst-case
scenario, all inhabitants of this densely populated area could
be at risk of losing their lives.
Illu
: Me
tio n
s tr a
ar m
diaf
Converting gas to energy
But for the time being, at least, the local population can
breathe easily. A high-tech project currently under way will
not only extract the gas, but also reduce the risk of eruption.
The gas will be converted into energy in such quantities as to
render this impoverished nation self-sufficient – and reduce
energy costs by up to 80 per cent into the bargain.
Today Rwanda’s power plants run on imported diesel,
which is a pollutant. A reduction in the consumption of
International news magazine from cowi • 5
diesel and oil would benefit the environment and
increase currency reserves.
“Lake Kivu is a ticking bomb, but it is not too late to
render it harmless. We expect another 100 years to
elapse before any eruption occurs, which gives us time
to plan what action to take,” explains COWI project
manager Mogens Winkler, who is acting as consultant
for the World Bank, which is representing the project’s
seven international lenders. COWI is assisting a joint
venture between the Rwandan government and the
Finnish-Dutch-Norwegian company Dane Associates to
extract the gas. COWI’S responsibilities include ensuring
that security, the stability of the lake and environmental
conditions in connection with the project are optimal.
Perpetual production process
Project manager Paul A. Nickson from International
Finance Corporation under the World Bank is positively
enthused about the project:
“It is a first-rate project with far-reaching perspectives.
We are negating the risk of a catastrophe in the area and
helping Rwanda get back on its feet. Not to mention the
environmental gain,” says Paul A. Nickson.
The first phase of the project has a price tag of about
DKK 500 million. The longer-term aim is to extract the
same volume of gas that is constantly being formed at
A high-tech project is currently
under way to extract gas from
Lake Kivu, Rwanda. Photo: Scanpix
A power plant will extract the
gas from Lake Kivu and convert
it into power that will be supplied to the national electricity
company. The power can be
used to supply electricity to
private homes and factories.
Illustration: Mediafarm
the 485-metre deep lakebed – and in so doing establish a
sort of perpetual production process. Later in the year it
is planned to start up a test plant in the lake to facilitate
ongoing measurements of the lake to assess its
continued stability. Does the potential danger increase
if lava from nearby volcanoes flows into the bottom
of the lake? And what if an earthquake strikes the area?
At present very little is known, even by experts in
these fields.
@
Project manager Mogens Winkler, mwi@cowi.dk
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/mhalb/kivu/eg/eg_
1a_lac.htm
35$!.
Facts about Lake Kivu:
Lake Kivu is situated in Central Africa
on the border between The Democratic
Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Lake Kivu
flows into the River Ruizi and south into
Lake Tanganyka
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6 • International news magazine from cowi
International news magazine from cowi • 7
“The two-stage process
can convert bio fuels such as
straw, wood chips or briquettes
into a combustible gas,”
explains cowi project manager
Jens Dall Bentzen. Photo: Tao Lytzen
Fuel cells have
potential to be the
energy technology
By Gitte Roe Eriksen
of the future
“In the search for new energy technologies to meet
future consumption, fuel cells present an attractive
opportunity given the many benefits to be gained from
using them,” says Jan Pieter Ouweltjes of the Dutch
energy research centre ECN. He is project partner in the
EU’S “Biocellus” project, where Indec, part of ECN, is
providing fuel cell and gas purification equipment to
test the fuel cell on biomass gasifiers in Europe. COWI
and the Technical University of Denmark are the Danish
participants in Biocellus, and the fuel cell will be tested
on a pilot gasification plant at the university. Danish
participation in the project is receiving support from
the EU and the Danish Energy Authority.
From lawnmowers to cars
Basically, a fuel cell is a small electrochemical power
plant that produces power from the input of air and gas
such as hydrogen, reformed natural gas or other sources
of energy. They produce significant quantities of power
relative to the amount of gas used to ‘feed’ them. And
they are efficient in all sizes of plants – big and small.
“Fuel cells can be used in countless applications, from
lawnmowers to cars and even in buildings, where they
can supply both power and heating – in a highly
decentralised energy system,” explains COWI project
manager Jens Dall Bentzen.
In addition to the many opportunities afforded by
fuel cells in terms of power output, there are also
important environmental advantages. The cells are
noiseless, emit no sulphur dioxide (SO2) and only very
little nitrogen oxide (NOX). The only waste product
is water.
Challenges waiting in line
However, we are still at a very early stage of development. Jens Dall Bentzen explains: “Fuel cells are costly
to make, degenerate over time and are susceptible to
impurities. Quite simply, they die if the gas being fed
into the cell is in any way impure. So there are many
challenges that need to be addressed.”
In the Netherlands there is a firm belief that fuel cells
are the thing of the future.
“In the course of the next decade we will see a major
breakthrough in the use of fuel cells,“ predicts Jan Pieter
Ouweltjes. “The initial results are very promising and
therefore we are expecting good results from the next
phase, where a real fuel cell based system will be
connected to a gasification plant.”
Fuel cells for use in private homes
Eight Danish companies headed by Danfoss have joined forces to establish a demonstration project for micro heat and power systems based on Danish fuel cells. The aim
of the project is to bring fuel cells into private homes as a source of heat and power.
COWI has assisted Danfoss in preparing and organising the project and with completing applications for public funding. The entire project is expected to run for seven
years. In the initial phase of the project, the industrial parties will construct a firstgeneration plant. In subsequent phases, when the plants are to be placed, COWI’S role
will be to act as the link between the industrial companies and the users.
8 • International news magazine from cowi
The best plant
Biocellus will test the fuel cell on five different biomass
gasifiers in Europe.
“The Technical University of Denmark has been
approached to host the long-term testing for the entire
project, as it has the best biomass gasification plant
available,“ explains project manager Jens Dall Bentzen.
Waste heat with no wastage
The Technical University of
Denmark has a so-called twostage gasification process
in operation. For many years
COWI has enjoyed close
collaboration with the
university’s researchers on the
development, upscaling and
optimising of this process.
Head of gasification activities
at the Technical University of
Denmark, Ulrik Henriksen,
says: “The two-stage process
can convert bio fuels such as
straw, wood chips or briquettes
into a combustible gas. The gas
from the two-stage process is
characterised by extremely low
tar content and high hydrogen
content, which is ideal for
optimum fuel cell performance.”
“The fuel cells to be used in
the test are so-called SOFC cells,
which operate at high temperatures. Waste heat from the
fuel cells can be used in the
gasification process, and with
an SOFC fuel cell we can achieve
a very high electrical efficiency
of about 50%.”
@
Project manager Jens Dall
Bentzen, jdb@cowi.dk
New
supermaterial
for tunnels
Concrete mixed with steel fibres each measuring
no more than 47 mm in length gives a new,
robust building material that is about to be put
to the test in the bored district heating tunnel
30 metres below ground level in Copenhagen
By Eva Isager
Deep underground in Copenhagen – so far down that
the metro runs above it – a boring machine is about to
begin drilling in readiness for laying a four-kilometre
long district heating main.
The boring work will begin near Amagerværket
south of Copenhagen city centre, run beneath the royal
residence of Amalienborg and close to the landmark
Frederik’s Church, popularly called the Marble Church,
and terminate beneath the Nørrebro quarter on the
north side of the city. This will be the largest civil
engineering project in Copenhagen since the city’s
metro, but the people of Copenhagen will hardly be
aware of the activity beneath their feet. It was precisely
to minimise disruption to the city’s citizens and traffic
that it was decided to lay the district heating main in a
bored tunnel deep underground, rather than dig it
down close to the surface.
Work on the tunnel 30 metres underground is
technically very demanding, but it means that
disruption to traffic can be avoided and also presents an
opportunity to put the new building material to the test.
Instead of traditional reinforced concrete, for the first
time in Denmark a construction project is to utilise steel
fibre reinforced concrete elements in the shape of curved
slabs lining the inner surface of the tunnel.
Ring girder reinforcement
work in progress on the
district heating tunnel
22 metres underground.
Photos: Henrik Pyndt Sørensen
be under sustained pressure. Therefore just 35 kg of
steel fibre per cubic metre of concrete is sufficient
to withstand anything the elements are subjected to
during transportation and construction. If this
technology had been known when Denmark’s Great Belt
tunnel was constructed, steel fibre reinforcement would
very likely have been the preferred solution. And it will
certainly make an obvious choice for the next stage of
Copenhagen’s metro expansion.”
COWI is designing and supervising the tunnel
construction for Copenhagen Energy and is the first
consultant in Scandinavia to use steel fibre reinforced
elements.
Withstands high temperatures
Despite their modest size – 47 mm in length and 0.8
mm in diameter – steel fibres can certainly compete
District heating tunnel
Copenhagen Energy is
constructing the new district
heating tunnel in Copenhagen
as part of its modernisation
plans for the production of
district heating. Much of the
production is being moved
from the old plants at
H.C. Ørstedsværket and
Svanemølleværket to Amagerværket, which will render
production more economical
and environmentally friendly
than at present. The boring
work commences in July
2006 and the last stretch of
tunnel should be in use by
spring 2009. Initially it will
transport both district
heating water and steam,
and will be built so that the
steam system can later be
converted to a water system.
New technology
“Steel fibre reinforced concrete elements are really the
optimal solution for tunnels,” claims COWI’S project team
comprising project manager Morten Faurschou, Carola
Edvardsen, Thomas Kasper and Jens Nymann. “When
you construct a tunnel in soft earth close to the surface,
tension can occur in the liner and therefore the steel
fibres have to be supplemented with traditional
reinforcement – or the volume of fibre has to be
significantly increased. But in this particular case the
tunnel is being laid deep and consequently the liner will
International news magazine from cowi • 11
Copenhagen Harbour
3,000-tonne prizewinner
Amalienborg Palace
There is steel in the door handles, structural elements, ceilings and bridges. The 3,000
tonnes of steel which were used to build Copenhagen’s Flintholm Station have made the
structure unique. The station was awarded the prestigious European Steel Design Awards
2005. The steel made it possible to accomplish a building with both large spans and a
slimline look. This is clearly visible from the steel bridges that span almost 29 metres
and the 5,000 square metre glass roof that seemingly floats above Flintholm Station.
Photo: Morten Larsen
@
Project manager Erling M. Bødker, emb@cowi.dk
30 metres
underground
Black box will
reduce traffic accidents
s tr a
tio
n: i
ll
uvi
ld
Consultants must ensure
that the water table is
not lowered, as this could
cause damage to buildings
founded on timber piles
Illu
Water table
The temperature
in the steam pipe
can reach 3oo°C
District
heating main
Clay and filler
Service trolley
for tunnel maintenance access
Limestone
The steel pipes
will be lowered
into the shaft
It is small and black and no bigger than a
couple of cigarette packets. The black box,
as we know it from aircraft, has for the first
time in Denmark been tested in a slightly
different format in minibuses. cowi has
recently completed a pilot project for
Denmark’s Road Safety and Transport Agency
to determine if the black box can help reduce
traffic accidents. The black box stores such
data as the speed of
the bus, how hard it
brakes and whether
the bus driver uses
his indicator lights –
and results suggest
that bus drivers take
more care on the
ens
: Siem
Photo
roads with a black
box installed on the dashboard.
@
with traditional steel reinforcement. First and foremost,
these tiny fibres save society massive amounts of money.
They are cheaper to produce than steel bars and do not
corrode – the cause of concrete spalling – which also
means reduced maintenance costs. This makes the steel
fibre solution especially well suited to the district
heating tunnel and the more demanding climatic
conditions resulting from the tunnel’s internal
temperature of 50-60 °C, caused by the 300°C steam
passing through it to supply the district heating.
Calculations from scratch
The steel fibre reinforced concrete elements have only
been used twice before in tunnels in Europe: in a test
section of a tunnel in the Netherlands in 1998 and in a
tunnel project in England in 2002-2003. The tunnel in
England is shorter than the one in Copenhagen, but
the experience has been so positive that the people of
Copenhagen will soon have the new building material
in use beneath their feet.
Given that steel fibre reinforcement is such a new
material, there are not yet any standards showing how
the material performs under pressure and tension etc.
Therefore COWI has had to make all calculations from
scratch. It was also necessary to carry out regular testing
in Germany and Denmark of both the strength of the
reinforced concrete and the durability of the rubber
water stop intended to prevent groundwater from
seeping in between the elements – a critical point given
the high temperatures.
@
Project manager Morten Faurschou, mnf@cowi.dk
Denmark gets Europe’s most modern mill
250,000 tons of flour per year. This is how much
Europe’s most modern mill will produce on
completion in three years’ time in Vejle Harbour.
Food manufacturer Cerealia Danmark A/S is
investing DKK 400 million in the mill, which
will produce flour for the Danish market.
This is the first new mill to be built in
Denmark in modern times, and it will be
connected to the existing one in Vejle. cowi
is responsible for all disciplines of the project.
@
Pho
to:
Sca
npix
Chief project manager
Knud Eigil Kruse, kek@cowi.dk
Project manager Per Tybjerg Aldrich,
pea@cowi.dk
Diploma for green environment in Vietnam
The provincial government in Phu Tho in Vietnam has honoured a
recently completed Danida-financed project headed by cowi’s Morten
Jørgensen. Among other things, the project has shown the authorities
and citizens of Viet Tri City, 75 km west of Hanoi, how to deal with
hazardous waste, plant more trees, take care of the aquatic
environment and improve sanitary conditions in the city’s marketplaces. cowi has been involved in developing methods and assisted
in implementing environmental projects.
@
Project manager Morten Jørgensen, mjo@cowi.dk
Ph
12 • International news magazine from cowi
International news magazine from cowi • 13
ot
o:
Sc
an
pi
x
ca
to: S
Pho
Seat belt alarms and
black boxes give most
safety for money
npix
Increased safety for trucks and lorries
In addition to increased safety in cars, cowi has also
identified the safety improvements in trucks and
lorries that give the best cost-benefit ratio – listed here
in order of priority:
1 Retro-fitting of blind spot mirrors. Obligatory on
new lorries and trucks in all countries, and in
Denmark and some other countries also obligatory
on older trucks and lorries.
2 Reflectors on the sides and rear to reduce the risk
of collision. Not obligatory.
3 Crosspieces on the underside to reduce the risk of
other road users ending under the vehicle in the
event of a collision. Not obligatory, but widely in
use on the front and rear of trucks and lorries.
4 Soft front. A so-called crash absorber that reduces
the risk of damage and injury in the event of a
collision. Not obligatory.
The advantages of installing safety technologies
in cars outweigh the costs, a new eu survey carried
out by cowi shows
By Gitte Roe Eriksen
Seat belt reminders and event and accident data
recorders that can show the speed of a car and the
actions taken by a driver in accident situations top the
list of vehicle safety equipment. And there is further
potential in alcolocks, electronic stability control (ESC)
and intelligent speed adaptation, according to the
results of an economic cost-benefit assessment carried
out by COWI on behalf of the EU to determine which
technologies ‘give the most value for money’.
At the bottom of this list are basics like intelligent
adaptive cruise control and automatic tyre pressure
monitoring equipment. Of the 21 safety technologies
assessed, 17 are for use in passenger cars and 4 in trucks.
The analysis shows that the benefits – in the form of
fewer fatalities and injuries – will in the vast majority of
cases far outweigh the costs of installing the technology
in vehicles.
COWI team leader Thomas Odgaard points out:
“While the analysis does not provide definitive final
results, the figures nevertheless indicate the extent of
usefulness of the technology.”
Top 5 – the safest eu countries
In 2002 the five safest countries to
drive in, measured by the number of
fatalities per million inhabitants,
were:
Malta:
40
United Kingdom:
60
Netherlands:
61
Sweden:
62
Finland:
80
In 2002 Denmark reported 83
fatalities per million inhabitants.
Top 5 – the most dangerous
eu countries
In 2002 the five most dangerous
countries to drive in, measured by
the number of fatalities per million
inhabitants, were:
Latvia:
225
Lithuania:
205
Greece:
171
Estonia:
159
Portugal:
158
The figures give an indication of
accident risk in each eu country.
Values based on exposure, i.e.
travelled kilometres, are not
available.
Apart from the human cost, the socio-economic costs
run to DKK 1700 billion annually. Given these alarming
statistics, the EU has set itself the goal of halving the
number of road fatalities by the year 2010, in part
through the use of passive and active safety equipment
in vehicles.
outweigh the costs. However, for some technologies it
was not possible to carry out the analysis in its entirety,
as these technologies are still in the test phase or under
development. Although this does not mean that they are
not effective or suitable as safety equipment, because
they could well prove to be.”
Focus on electronics
The 21 technologies range from familiar, documented
technologies such as seat belt reminders and the use of
blind spot mirrors in trucks to more sophisticated
technology such as event and accident data recorders,
intelligent speed adaptation and electronic stability
control. The latter is among the technologies that car
producers are setting great store in and where there is
significant potential for the development of new
components.
Thomas Odgaard explains: “With very many of the
21 technologies that we have analysed, the benefits far
Demand for safety
Countries beyond the EU, too, are looking at ways to
improve safety in cars. And motorists themselves are
increasingly weighing safety measures when deciding
which car to buy.
“Clearly this constitutes a competitive parameter
that car producers are already working on. And all the
indications are that it will take on even more importance in the future. Normally, new technologies first
appear in more expensive cars and later they become
standard in other classes of cars,” says Morten Klintø
Hansen, traffic safety expert with COWI.
@
Team leader Thomas Odgaard, tod@cowi.dk
Would reduce fatalities by half
In 2001, over 50,000 people lost their lives and millions
were injured as a result of road accidents in Europe.
14 • International news magazine from cowi
International news magazine from cowi • 15
Safety equipment for the car
Seat belt reminder tops the list
With the help of economic cost-benefit assessments,
a team of cowi economists and engineers has determined which technologies are most beneficial relative
to the cost of installing them in vehicles. Of the
21 technologies analysed, it was possible to carry
out cost-benefit assessments for 13 of them.
Technology
10. eCall
A system that immediately phones the emergency
services if the vehicle is involved in an accident. The
system automatically sends road coordinates so
that emergency services can quickly reach the right
location. Available in a number of variations in
several makes of cars.
Of the 21 technologies
assessed by cowi,
17 can be installed in
private cars
15. Improved seats and headrests
Whiplash injuries can be reduced through enhanced
design of seats and headrests. The system can be
developed to actively adapt to accident situations by,
for example, automatically reverting the seat to an
upright position and tightening the seatbelt. Also
provides protection from other types of injury.
Benefit in
relation to cost
Major benefits
Seat belt reminder
8 (times greater
benefit than cost)
7
Almost 4
Event and accident data recorder
ESC
Retro-fitting of blind
spot mirrors
Intelligent speed adaptation
Alcohol ignition interlocks
Almost 4
3
3
Significant benefits
Conspicuity marking
Under-run protection
Daytime running lights
Lane departure warning
2½
2½
Almost 2
Almost 2
5. Alcolock
In best law-abiding style, you blow into the alcolock to show
if you are in a fit state to drive. The car does not start before
you have blown into the alcolock. However, it is only 100%
effective if the driver continues to blow into it at regular
intervals to guard against drinking while driving. In Denmark,
about 25% of accidents resulting in fatalities involve alcohol.
8. Intelligent adaptive
cruise control (ACC)
A car can be programmed in advance to run
at a predetermined speed. The system can
also maintain a given distance to the vehicle
in front. An electronic control unit automatically brakes or accelerates
the car as required.
1. Seat belt reminder
Controls if the driver and passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
Failure to do so triggers an alarm, either visually on the dashboard
or by emitting a sound. Today about 80 per cent of all motorists
and passengers use seatbelts when sitting in the front seat of the
car, but only half of car passengers use seatbelts in the back seat.
17. ISOFIX
A standard for securing baby chairs that utilises a click
system. Installed in many makes of car.
Benefits not justified by costs
Adaptive cruise control
Almost ½
Tyre pressure monitoring
Almost 0.05
Difficult to categorise
eCall
9. Tyre pressure monitoring
Sensors in each tyre valve monitor the
tyre pressure and warn the driver if it is
too low.
Between
almost 0.5-2
s tr
Illu
11. Collision warning system
With the help of a radar-activated light or
sound signal, this system warns the driver
when other vehicles are pulling over in front of
the car or if the vehicle in front is reducing
speed. Can be developed to make the car able
to “think for itself”; in other words, avoid
collisions by braking or taking avoiding action.
13. Improved vehicle compatibility
Soft bonnets and hoods reduce injury to pedestrians
on impact with the vehicle. Serve as a kind of cushion
that absorbs the impact of a collision.
16 • International news magazine from cowi
6. Daytime running lights
In many cars the lights switch on automatically
when the ignition key is turned on. In a number of
countries, driving with the lights on at all times is
required by law.
o
ati
n:
f
dia
Me
ar m
3. ESC
Electronic stability control. Prevents the car from
veering off the road. For instance, if the driver overdoes
a manoeuvre ESC will intervene in the brake system,
motor and steering to ensure that he does not lose
control of the car. Volvo and Saab have ESC in all new
models. A system that is becoming increasingly
widespread.
7. LDWS
Lane Departure Warning System. Infrared
sensors under the bumper register if the vehicle
comes too close to the edge or centre lines. The
driver is warned by means of a sound, or the
seat vibrates if the vehicle is veering off the road
or into the path of approaching traffic. Already
standard in several makes of car.
16. Brake measurement devices
Automatically tests that the brakes are working.
14. Brake assistant systems
Enhanced automatic braking in the event of accidents. Surveys
show that female drivers in particular do not brake hard enough
and consequently do not fully utilise the car’s braking ability in
accident situations.
4. Intelligent speed adaptation (ISA)
A computer in the car performs automatic speed
adaptation in relation to the speed limit in force for the
stretch of road on which you are driving. The system can
be based either on a GPS combined with digital map in
the car or road signs that transmit a signal to the car. If
the speed is too high, the driver is warned by means of a
flashing light or a voice message informing him of the
correct speed. The speeder can also be set to provide
resistance, so that maintaining too high a speed will
require extra pressure. It would also be possible to install
more advanced systems with the ability to modify speed
levels to the prevailing road conditions – wet, slippery,
etc. road surface – and density of traffic.
12. Fatigue detectors
Sensors in the dashboard monitor the driver’s
eyes while driving. The system registers if the
driver’s eyes start to blink slowly or close for
longer periods at a time. An alarm emits a
sound signal to keep the driver awake.
Currently under development.
2. Event and accident data recorders
Records speeds and other data for use in the
event of an accident. Has a preventive effect
and can also help to prove guilt or innocence
in the event of accidents. In Iceland, tests
have been carried out with mail vans – and
here the black box was found to have a
pronounced preventive effect.
International news magazine from cowi • 17
The last steel girder, 85 m in length, has been
installed in the Danish Royal Theatre’s new
playhouse. And so this highly distinctive building
is beginning to take shape near Kvæsthusbroen
bridge in Copenhagen
140 tonne steel girder
erected in a
single
operation
Photo: Stig Stasig
Read about
Copenhagen’s
new architectonic
attraction on
pages 18-26
The outermost lattice girder of the
playhouse is almost in place. On
completion, the girders will form an
architectonic pattern throughout the
entire building. Photos: Stig Stasig
The construction moves
In order to create the feeling
that the entire top floor seems
almost to be suspended above
the rest of the building, the
roof has a very large free span.
The biggest freely suspended
cantilever, at the corner of the
playhouse, is 26 metres – the
equivalent of a seven-floor
building. The construction
is similar to the roof of
Copenhagen’s new Opera
House, which can be seen on
the other side of the harbour.
ng
e floati
from th e the
n
a
m
g
receiv
The fla
ready to
irder.
crane is long lattice g
e
tr
e
m
85
By Christina Tækker
Scandinavia’s biggest floating crane,
known as Samson,
comes chugging
through the mist.
A massive orange and blue
colossus, it sails slowly
through Copenhagen Harbour
hauling its heavy load: a 140tonne lattice girder suspended
on two strong hooks. The monotonous sound of the motor
suddenly ceases as the floating
crane reaches the Danish Royal
Theatre’s playhouse at Kvæsthusbroen bridge over Copenhagen harbour.
Slowly the giant crane turns
in the water while the flagman,
Head of department
Rene M. Kræmer
(left) and project
manager Kim Bundgaard watch for the
floating crane.
feet planted
solidly on what will eventually
be the foyer of the new theatre,
shouts orders as he guides the
85 metre long steel girder into
place the length of the playhouse. Precision manoeuvring
is imperative. The girder must
be laid in steel frames high
above the ground to form the
top floor of the playhouse,
which is being built on a
number of long steel girders.
For the first time in
Denmark, 85-metre long steel
girders are being installed
from the water. The girders
have been welded together
in quarters in Latvia, and then
transported to the B&W
dockyard close to the playhouse site in Copenhagen
harbour for final assembly.
Installation takes about eight
hours per girder. And so this
highly distinctive building is
beginning to take shape.
Suspended in the air
“It is very unusual to install
such massive steel girders in a
single operation,” comments
COWI head of department René
M. Kræmer, “and I don’t think
it has ever been done before
But the difference is that the
cantilever on the playhouse is
designed to support the canteen, wardrobes and meeting
rooms. The top floor is so solidly dimensioned that the staff
of the Royal Theatre can party
until dawn if they wish in the
freely suspended canteen.
To compensate for the heavy
load, the end of the grey steel
lattice above the water has
been raised about 10 cm. But by
the time the building is completed, the structure will have
settled and the entire floor will
be level.
“The dimensions are outsized and the construction
moves more than is normal in
civil engineering,” explains
COWI project manager Kim
Bundgaard. “The grey steel
lattices have been made with a
built-in skew – because when
they are subject to the full pressure of the roof, they will level
out. You can compare it to the
pylons of Denmark’s Great Belt
Bridge. They were also installed slightly skewed – deliberately so, I might add. Because
the subsequent load exerted by
the bridge girders caused them
to recede and stand straight.”
@
Project manager Kim
Bundgaard, kbu@cowi.dk
See video of the Playhouse
steel girders being installed at www.cowi.com
The floating crane set off in the
dead of night, when the gusting
winds of the previous day had
finally eased.
from the water. The size
and span of the girders stand
comparison with those of a
bridge. On completion of the
construction, the free span
will be of such dimensions
that the girders will appear to
be suspended in the air with
no supporting structure.”
The steel girders, which will
support the actors’ canteen
and wardrobe, form a prominent part of the building. By
day people will clearly see the
pattern formed by the long
girders through the glass façades of the top floor. And
in the evening the roof will
appear as a belt of light right
around the playhouse.
Facts about the Danish Royal Theatre’s playhouse
In October 2002 in open competition, COWI landed the contract
to provide engineering consultancy services for the new playhouse, due for completion in 2008. The building will house a
large auditorium with 650 seats, a smaller auditorium with
275 seats, and a restaurant and café. Owner: Ministry of Culture.
Architect: Boje Lundgaard & Lene Tranberg Arkitekter A/S.
It requires great
concentration to
install the 140 tonne
lattice girder in the dark.
New playhouse based
on square root
2
principle
Architect Henrik Schmidt in front
of the playhouse which is taking
shape. Photo: Stig Stasig
By Eva Isager
What will happen at the point on the apron where
the lines cross? Wait and see, smiles the architect.
Perhaps the evening’s performance will be imbued
with a special energy
Applying the square root 2
principle, a line cuts through the
Playhouse along the edge of the
quay. Another line goes through
the stage tower and the large
auditorium. The lines cross at the
apron, illustrates architect Henrik
Schmidt. Photo: Stig Stasig
balconies of the main auditorium and the
It is almost verging on the inconceivable to
foyer filled with life.”
think that by the end of February 2008 the
curtain is due to rise on opening night at
Respect for the surroundings
the Danish Royal Theatre’s new playhouse
The building will be abuzz with activity
– right here where today there is a jumble
virtually round the clock. From one side
of concrete and boarding and muddied
you will be able to peep in through the
workmen aplenty. But even though the
window chinks in the wall and see some of
main auditorium and the rest of the playthe preparations under way for the
house at Kvæsthusmolen on Copenhagen’s
evening performance. The square, glassquayside presently resembles a chaotic
construction site, it does not take too much enclosed top floor, taut between the big
steel lattice
imagination to
“We wanted to provide the optimal girders, houses
picture how the
conditions for … the encounter
facilities for
new building
actors and adminwill enhance the between audience and play”
istration, includtheatre experiing the canteen and rehearsal rooms with
ence for audiences. Before they even take
their stunning views out over the water. In
their seats in the auditorium.
the evening, life on the top floor and the
The interplay between the playhouse
three stages will form a fulcrum of activity.
and the harbour space is central to this
Total audience capacity for the three
massive project, valued at DKK 750 milstages is about 1,100 seats, of which 650 are
lion. The new national stage will project
in the main auditorium, which will have
about 50 metres out into the harbour
cavern-like qualities with a relatively short
entrance. On completion, audiences will
be seated in what is now the actual harbour distance between actors and audience.
Henrik Schmidt describes the architecentrance, while the actors will be where
tural concept behind the playhouse:
the edge of the quay currently runs. But
“It all started with the location. We
for architect Henrik Schmidt from the firm
wanted to create a building in harmony
of architects Lundgaard & Tranberg, the
with its surroundings and with the spaprincipal architect behind the playhouse,
ciousness of the harbour. Not a big, flashy
the drama begins outside the building for
building, but one at a deferential distance
theatregoers and others:
to the axis formed by the Royal residence
“Access is via a massive timbered promof Amalienborg and the new Opera House,
enade, a sort of boardwalk suspended out
and the background buildings on the landover the water on skewed piles a la Venice,”
explains Henrik Schmidt. “The promenade ward side. For instance, the view to the
water from the square of Skt. Annæ Plads
runs right around the building and the
remains unimpeded.”
architectonic drama continues in the
“The solution was a large brick building
glass-facaded foyer, which is surrounded
with three main elements in the form of a
by water on three sides. You will be able
promenade, stage construction and the
to see right in to the rough brick walls,
large top floor. The building has all the
the broad stairways leading up to the
basic functions that go into keeping the
machinery of theatre functioning, and
tailoring a playhouse for the Danish Royal
Theatre has been an amazingly exhilarating experience. We wanted to provide the
optimal conditions for what, in essence,
this is all about – the encounter between
audience and play.”
Invisible lines
The playhouse is in harmony with the
neighbouring buildings – and with itself.
Important to achieving architectural harmony is the mathematics of the project, or
to be more precise the square root 2 principle. The entire composition and position
of the building on the ground embodies
this principle, which serves as a guideline
for determining the distance between the
various parts of the building. The architect’s
drawings show the building dissected by
lines that divide the building into rectangles.
The sides of the rectangles are in the ratio
of 1:1.414 to each other. The square root 2 is
equal to 1.414 – hence the designation.
One line cuts through the building
along the edge of the quay while another
goes down through the middle of the stage
tower and the main auditorium, with the
two lines crossing each other at the apron
which, depending on the performance
taking place, will be used either by the
actors, for additional rows of seating or
as part of the orchestra pit. And what
happens at that point? Wait and see. If you
are really paying attention you will notice
something, smiles Henrik Schmidt. An
energy, perhaps, that makes its presence
felt through the performance …
@
Project manager Kim Bundgaard,
kbu@cowi.dk
International news magazine from cowi • 23
A well-composed COWI group. From Left:
Gustav Lanng Madsen, Jens Mellergaard,
Bernt Wangy, Thanh Quoc Nguyen,
Kim Rasmussen and Kim Bundgaard.
Photo: Stig Stasig
Unusual
framework
Photo: Scanpix
Photo: Morten Larsen
Audiences heat the new playhouse
Body heat from the audiences and water from Copenhagen
Harbour are used to heat and cool the playhouse. The heat
from the strong projector lights and from the audience
attending the previous evening’s performance is used to
heat the changing rooms, offices and foyer. This is done by
extracting the heat from the auditorium and storing it in
liquid form for use as floor heating the following day. This is
one of the first Danish projects to use thermo-active concrete
constructions, which utilise a combined heating and cooling
system consisting of plastic pipes moulded into the concrete
floor and ceiling. The playhouse is receiving eu support for
its energy systems.
New fire regulations
have allowed for an
open and more
flexible building. With function-based fire
regulations, an unusual framework can be
created for the playhouse without compromising fire precautions. The large auditorium is
designed with more seating per row than is
allowed by the standard fire regulations. Safety
measures in the event of fire are instead
documented by means of comprehensive
calculations and evacuation analyses. These
analyses are optimised to accurately reflect
the fire risk and consequently only those fire
precaution measures that will actually make
a difference need be implemented.
Model photo: Boje Lundgaard & Lene Tranberg Arkitekter A/S
Six men and a playhouse
Playhouse built on piles
A mass of tilted piles. It looks as if the
playhouse is built on Venetian piles.
But beneath the surface of the water a
row of piles bored into the limestone
floor of the harbour supports the
promenade built around the playhouse.
The piles represented a construction
challenge for the consultants and the
24 • International news magazine from cowi
Almost a Mediterranean feel
contractor, who had to take into
account the old berthing structures
driven into the earth, a 132kV cable
from Copenhagen Energy that traverses
the harbour basin, and a diversity of
soil conditions such as moraine,
meltwater deposits, limestone and flint.
Prior to performances and during intermissions, theatregoers will congregate in
the playhouse’s glass-enclosed foyer with
its nine-metre high ceiling. The foyer is
also open to the public, so that families
just out for a Sunday afternoon stroll will
also be able to enjoy a cup of coffee in the
café. From here you can enjoy a wonderful
view over the water that surrounds the
foyer on three sides. And when the
weather allows, there will be outdoor
tables near the south-facing entrance.
By Eva Isager
There they stand in the unfinished rehearsal room, trying
to look rough and tough at the
request of the photographer.
But the only rough stuff
around here are the large concrete surfaces of the playhouse,
where six of COWI’S budding
engineers have been working
together for so long and got to
know each other so well in the
process.
Gustav Lanng Madsen,
Thanh Quoc Nguyen, Bernt
Wangy, Jens Mellergaard and a
couple of Kims called Bundgaard and Rasmussen are all
between 30 and 38 years of age.
They all have engineering
backgrounds and make up the
main part of the COWI team
that is working on design,
follow-up and inspection of
the playhouse construction at
Kvæsthusbroen in Copenhagen
harbour. In the initial stages
their more seasoned colleagues
worked on the design, but at
a relatively early stage the
younger team took over.
After a couple of minutes in
the company of the six young
engineers, you automatically
start laughing. There is a chemistry between them that is hard
to put into words. Take equal
parts professional camaraderie
and seriousness, mix in a good
portion of fun and games and
sprinkle liberally in an all-male
environment, and you might
begin to get the idea.
Female on the way
“Our jargon and humour…”
begins Bernt Wangy, before
Gustav Lanng Madsen cuts in:
“…is so downright childish.”
The laughter echoes around
the concrete room. Bernt
Wangy tries again: “OK, we
also have in common the tremendous energy we put into
our work here. We want to
show that we can do a good job,
and perhaps that is more
important for us than for our
more seasoned colleagues.”
The other five nod their assent.
Kim Bundgaard emphasises
the dynamism and creativity
of the team: “The architects
and the staff of the Royal
Theatre who are here on-site
are also creative and about the
same age as us, which makes
it easier for us to talk to one
another.”
“Would we like to have a female in the group? Yes, please!
A female will actually be
joining us soon, and we are
really not a coarse bunch, so as
long as she can go along with
the jargon…” smiles Gustav
Lanng Madsen. “On completion of the design phase we
will no longer be together so
much, so that should make it
a little easier for her,” adds
Bernt Wangy wryly.
Different type of project
For several members of the
group, being involved in the
construction of the playhouse
is something very special.
Thanh Quoc Nguyen is one
of them:
“To date I have worked on
this project for two years and
it is very different from other
projects because so many
things have to come together
in a synthesis – plus it is such
an important building for
the city of Copenhagen. This
is the kind of project that
makes working for COWI so
interesting.”
International news magazine from cowi • 25
Large-scale
Model photo: Lundgaard and Tranberg/cowi
Playhouse in 3d
Because of the complexity of the construction,
cowi decided to utilise 3d design. In collaboration
with the architect, cowi computer-modelled the
entire auditorium. Using 3d makes it easier for the
owner and non-technicians to understand the
drawings and see what the finished result will look
like. With 3d you can sketch the projected
dimensions, which come over more clearly than
just a line would, and show space requirements for
cable racks etc., thus minimising the risk of error.
construction
of low-energy
housing
Four city communities
are ambassadors for
energy-wise solutions in
a large-scale eu project
By Christina Tækker
Solar collectors, solar cells, wind turbines,
biomass plants and heat pumps. Many different
solutions will be trialled in the so-called ECOCity project under the EU Commission’s CONCERTO
programme when a series of low-energy ECObuildings are supplied with energy in Helsingborg (Sweden), Elsinore (Denmark), Trondheim
(Norway) and Tudela (Spain) over the next five
years.
The CONCERTO initiative is probably the greatest integrated venture the EU Commission has
instituted in the field of energy.
Designer bricks
The playhouse is being built with
bricks of a kind never before seen
in Denmark. The firm of architects
Lundgaard & Tranberg had them
developed by a brickworks in
southern Jutland to give the playhouse a distinctive, contemporary
brick finish that, while stylish, still
merges with the surrounding old
buildings and warehouses. The
bricks are slimmer and longer than
normal – just over half a metre in
length – and have been made in a
range of slaty nuances: grey-beige,
grey-mauve and grey-green. The
bricks will be used for both internal
and external walls. The background
shows some of the different bricks
considered for use in the project.
Photo: Stig Stasig
Photo: Scanpix
Natural sound
The inner walls are broken up into
sections that are offset in relation
to each other and clad with special
bricks. The ceiling also has different sections and angles, and the
seats absorb the same amount of
sound regardless of whether the
auditorium is half empty or completely full. This innovative
concept is an inventive approach to providing the large
playhouse auditorium with superb room acoustics. The
actors will be able to perform without the usual small
microphones and still be clearly heard throughout the
auditorium. Nor will performances be marred by extraneous noise.
During the initial round, nine integrated
projects have been set in motion, ECO-City being
one of the first. The energy component of the
ECO-City project accounts for more than DKK 200
million, which the EU is subsidising to the tune
of DKK 85 million.
Setting an operating precedent
“The ECO-City project will set a precedent for
ways of operating more energy-efficiently in
future at municipal level and will promote lowenergy building to meet the new requirements
set out in building regulations in accordance
with the EU Building Directive EPBD. The purpose is to develop and demonstrate solutions
that not only cut energy consumption on the
demand side but also make it possible to switch
to more environmentally friendly forms of
energy sources,” says project manager Reto M.
Hummelshøj from COWI, head of the ECO-City
consortium comprising 22 partners.
The ECO-City project includes a total of
2,400 m2 of solar collectors, 4,000 m2 of solar
cells, 5 MW wind turbines, a 5.75 MW biomassfuelled heating plant, 1,050 low-energy homes
and refurbishment of another 477 homes, as
well as underground cold storage, interseasonal
storage of waste and investigating the biogas
supply for public transport, energy measuring
equipment and systematic energy savings in
public buildings.
@
Project manager Reto M.
Hummelshøj, rmh@cowi.dk
By 2010 the eu aims to be
producing 22 per cent of
generated electricity from solar
power, wind power and other
renewable sources of energy.
Photo: Scanpix
26 • International news magazine from cowi
International news magazine from cowi • 27
Pearl Towers comprise
two 50-storey towers and
a 40-storey tower. Photo:
Courtesy AL Hamad
Construction and
Development Company
New gateway to Bahrain
Pearl Towers with
the landmark
Pearl roundabout
in the foreground.
Photo: Courtesy
AL Hamad
Construction and
Development
Company
Two 53-storey twin towers, a
12-storey Harbour House and a
7-storey Financial Mall complex
are changing the skyline of
Bahrain. cowi Almoayed Gulf
has been appointed to a number
of prestigious high-rise projects
in Bahrain
Edited by Christina Tækker
A new gateway to Bahrain is taking shape. The historic
landmark of Bab Al Bahrain – or Gateway to Bahrain –
links the traditional trading history of Bahrain’s Souq
with the Bahrain Financial Harbour. From the gateway
of Bab Al Bahrain, an avenue connects the old Bahrain
to the new, welcoming modern traders into the
financial heart of Bahrain to take part in the region’s
prosperity.
Here the biggest construction work ever in the history of Bahrain has begun. At the centre of Bahrain
Financial Harbour, the Bahrain Financial Centre when
completed will comprise two 53-storey towers, a 12storey Harbour House and a 7-storey Financial Mall
complex. The complex will house the Bahrain stock exchange within the mall and will be complemented by
extensive car parking facilities.
COWI Almoayed Gulf has been appointed to a number
of prestigious high-rise projects in Bahrain. In addition
to structural design review and structural supervision
of Phase I of the Bahrain Financial Harbour, the work
includes the structural design and supervision of Abraj
Al Lulu (Pearl of the Gulf), as well as the structural
design of the BIIC building, which also forms part
of the Bahrain Financial Harbour.
Face the challenges of the 21st century
The Bahrain Financial Harbour Development project
was designed by Ahmed Janahi Architects, whose vision
has largely spurred Bahrain to open the floodgates for
the development of Bahrain to face the challenges of the
21st century. The Financial Centre is the first phase of
the Bahrain Financial Harbour Development project.
The first phase of the project comprising the two
high-rise towers, the Financial Mall complex and the
Harbour House was procured on a design and build
28 • International news magazine from cowi
basis. Al-Hamad Construction, a Sharjah based construction company, won the contract, valued at approximately USD 193 million out of a total USD 1.3 billion for
the entire Bahrain Financial Harbour project. The first
phase of the project is expected to be completed by
March 2007.
Craig Oldfield, COWI Almoayed Gulf, senior project
manager for the structural works, says: “The main
towers were topped out in January 2006, a little ahead
of schedule – they are now the tallest buildings in
Bahrain!”
Abraj Al Lulu residential project
As a result of its work on the Bahrain Financial Harbour
project, COWI Almoayed Gulf was requested to prepare
the structural design and structural supervision of the
prestigious Abraj Al Lulu residential project, developed
by the Dadabai Corporation.
The residential project, located in the heart of
Manama near the landmark Pearl Roundabout, will
comprise three multi-storey residential towers – two
50-storey towers and one 40-storey tower. The towers
will house car parking facilities as well as leisure facilities. Valued at approximately USD 220 million, the
project is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.
In addition, the BIIC building with its 23 storeys and a
total height of 94 m is an equally prestigious building,
although smaller in scale, situated within the Commercial East of the Financial Harbour Development project.
COWI Almoayed Gulf is responsible for the structural
design of the building, the construction of which
recently started on-site.
@
Senior project manager Craig Oldfield,
cagco@batelco.com.bh
International news magazine from cowi • 29
The tsunami swept a holiday
paradise into the sea. Now new
sustainable wastewater treatment
technology will draw the tourists
back to Koh Phi Phi
Picking up the
pieces on Phi Phi
Infrastructure destroyed
Today, Witchuda Jantharo’s hotel – Phi Phi
Hotel – is again open for business, while
other houses and hotels still lie in ruins.
The tsunami also caused extensive damage
to the island’s water and wastewater
systems. Even before this latest disaster,
the wastewater situation had been proving
a plague to residents and tourists alike.
Punkham Kittithornkul, mayor of
Koh Phi Phi, explains that the island has
only old septic tanks made of concrete for
processing wastewater from toilets, kitchens and bathrooms. When the tanks overflow or spring leaks, the wastewater seeps
out into the street or down into the
groundwater – the same water that is
pumped up to provide supplies to the
island’s hotels and houses. Or it forms
stagnant puddles that attract mosquitoes.
And in the rainy season the groundwater
level rises and toilets cannot be flushed.
The government had previously
installed a central wastewater treatment
plant on the island, but it was never put to
use. It was prohibitively costly to operate,
in places the sewer pipes were turned the
wrong way and very few houses were connected to the main collectors. In Thailand,
residents are not legally required to connect to main collectors. And the actual
Photos: Mikkel Rye Christensen
By Mikkel Rye Christensen
For Witchuda Jantharo and the other hotel
owners on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi,
Boxing Day 2004 was a cruel, dreadful day.
Just after breakfast, the tsunami swept
ashore and within minutes their livelihoods and their businesses were reduced
to wreckage washing out to sea – a scene of
devastation that was repeated all along
Thailand’s west coast and throughout the
southern islands.
Witchuda Jantharo recounts how the
massive wave struck them from two sides.
Koh Phi Phi resembles a butterfly in flight,
with wooded hills on each ‘wing’ connected by a sandy isthmus rimmed by beaches
where almost all the island’s hotels and
houses are located. On that fateful day,
most of the buildings were washed away.
As people ran for their lives, the huge
deluge of water transformed this idyllic
tourist paradise into a scene of death and
destruction.
Hotel owner Witchuda
Jantharo leafs through
COWI’S proposed new
master plan for Koh
Phi Phi Don.
The petals of
the butterfly
filter are made
tight with large
membranes.
The membranes
are delivered in
rolls and welded
together.
wastewater treatment plant – which
consisted of a number of open ponds
containing foul-smelling wastewater –
was located among the island’s many
bungalows and consequently right under
the noses of the tourists, recounts COWI
project manager Carsten Laugesen.
Paradise reconstructed
Supported by Danish disaster relief, the
local authorities assisted by COWI are introducing a completely new technology on
Koh Phi Phi that is the result of the whole
issue of wastewater management having
been thoroughly thought through:
“We are connecting private residences,
commercial premises and hotels, installing
septic tanks, oil and grease separators, laying new pipes, and building pumping stations that channel all wastewater flow to the
new, constructed wetland via closed, odourfree systems,” explains COWI engineer
Henrik Lynghus. He is part of a specialist
team working on the assignment together
with Hans Brix, lecturer at the Department
of Biological Sciences at Aarhus University,
Ejlif Mikkelsen from the municipality of
Viborg and Dr. Thammarat of the Asian
Institute of Technology.
@
Project manager Carsten Laugesen,
carsten@hlaugesen.com
International news magazine from cowi • 31
Photo: Bablu Virinder Singh
Danish aid to
tsunami-devastated Thailand
Wastewater
treatment tailored
to the tropics
In January 2005, DANIDA and then Danish
Minister for Development Bertel Haarder
gave DKK 20 million towards rebuilding
the tsunami-devastated regions along
Thailand’s west coast. The disaster relief
was channelled through existing projects.
COWI, together with the Danish Embassy
in Bangkok, administered DKK 10 million
for the reconstruction of drains and sewers,
piping and wastewater treatment plants.
The work is taking place on the tropical
island of Koh Phi Phi, Patong Beach on
Phuket and the towns of Ban Nam Khem
and Baan Pru Teau in Phang Nga province.
In addition to this amount, the CODI organisation has received DKK 7 million towards
helping local communities in the affected
areas, while the remaining DKK 3 million is
earmarked for restoring nature reserves
that were devastated by the tsunami.
The new wastewater treatment
plant on Koh Phi Phi utilises
natural processes, is odourless
- and designed like a butterfly
By Mikkel Rye Christensen
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32 • International news magazine from cowi
Carsten Laugesen adds: “At only modest cost to cover
the expenses of operating the wastewater treatment
plant, recycled wastewater can be supplied for uses such
as watering gardens and flowers. You will note, too, that
we on the island actually don’t call it a wastewater treatment plant but a water purification plant, which places
the focus on the end-product.”
Then there is the question of energy. Many wastewater treatment plants in Thailand do not work
because the municipalities cannot afford the electricity
bills. Therefore the pumps for Koh Phi Phi’s new wastewater treatment plant will run on solar energy, explains
Carsten Laugesen.
“In addition, to regulate the water in the filters we
are using a so-called siphon – a kind of ‘pull and release’
mechanism – that releases the wastewater into the
plant at regular intervals,” adds Henrik Lynghus. “This
gives a marked increase in purification efficiency. In fact,
the whole system is automatic and virtually cost -free to
operate.”
0
The wastewater treatment plant on Koh Phi Phi consists of a siphon-driven inlet tank, three types of
planted subsurface flow constructed wetlands (gravel
filters), a surface flow constructed wetland, a polishing
pond and a storage tank for reuse purposes.
The main treatment process takes place in the gravel
filters. Three different sizes of crushed stone, all shipped to Koh Phi Phi from the mainland, are used in the
gravel filters. The treatment utilises natural processes:
when the wastewater passes through the filter, a layer
of bacteria on the aggregate devours the pollutants in
the wastewater.
“Constructed wetlands and the polishing pond function well in the tropics, in part because of the high temperatures, which give optimal conditions for the microorganisms that break down the pollutants in the wastewater. The temperature on Koh Phi Phi is 28°-32°C all
year round,” explains COWI engineer Henrik Lynghus.
Ecologically operated wastewater treatment plant
Tourist consumption of water is straining reserves on
the island. The mayor points out that about 2,000
people live on Koh Phi Phi, and prior to the tsunami
about one million tourists visited the island each year.
And they all had to share 12 km² of land and 6000 m³
of water from the reservoir.
Recycling of wastewater is the obvious solution.
Project manager Carsten Laugesen considers it a waste
to simply release wastewater into the sea. The wastewater treatment plant has the capacity to treat 400 m³
of water daily, which he plans to supply to the island’s
hotels and restaurants.
The butterfly filter
It is a condition that the wastewater treatment plant
must not be an eyesore and must be odour-free.
Therefore the plant and piping is being laid underground. Koh Phi Phi is a small island, so we cannot
avoid siting the treatment plant close to the tourist
bungalows – on the only piece of land owned by the
local authorities.
The underground gravel filter will be concealed by a
landscaped park complete with flowers, pavilions and
paths. The crowning glory of the treatment plant is its
design, innovatively depicting a flower and a butterfly,
with wastewater inflow through the petals and outflow
through the butterfly’s antennae.
“Tourists cannot avoid passing the treatment plant.
Therefore the architecture must be sustainable. The
solution is both functional and pleasing to the eye. The
island of Koh Phi Phi is shaped like a butterfly and
boasts many species of flora, which we have taken as
our source of inspiration,” says Carsten Laugesen.
Inexpensive and sustainable
In Denmark we have costly high-tech wastewater treatment plants. But the small municipalities in Thailand
are not geared for such solutions, and the technology
has to be modified to local capacity.
“There is no tradition here of treating wastewater,”
Carsten Laugesen points out. “So when we approach
them to explain the concept, there are two things they
want to know: will it smell, and what will it look like?
And if they don’t get a quick and good answer, then it’s
no thank you and out the door.”
The new wastewater treatment
plant is formed like a flower and a
butterfly, with wastewater inflow
through the petals and outflow
through the butterfly’s antennae.
Graphics: CD-WMA
He goes on to explain that wastewater treatment plant
operations will need to generate money if the system is
to become sustainable. On Koh Phi Phi, fees will be
collected for the reused water. Furthermore, Danida has
provided a five-year operation and maintenance budget for the municipality worth 500,000 baht (about
DKK 95,000) a year. This money will enable the municipality to maintain the treatment plant and make
whatever modifications may be necessary on the advice
of COWI. The total cost of the plant is 28 million baht
(about DKK 3.5 million) – cheap compared to previous
plants, which cost the Thai government about five to
ten times more.
Towards the future
“Phi Phi is interesting for several reasons. The treatment
plant offers an innovative solution – nature-based,
odour-free and pleasing to the eye – and with the right
mix of technologies, we are looking at the future of
wastewater management in tropical countries,” says
Carsten Laugesen.
Hotel owner Witchuda Jantharo and mayor
Punkham Kittithornkul have high expectations of the
new treatment plant – as does the rest of the island’s
population. At a public hearing, all 150 delegates voted
in favour of COWI’S proposals on behalf of the entire
population of Koh Phi Phi.
@
Project manager Carsten Laugesen,
carsten@hlaugesen.com
International news magazine from cowi • 33
This bridge, linking Copenhagen’s Islands Brygge
and Fisketorvet, is more underplayed than other
footbridges and in daylight appears reduced to a
thin line. Model photo: Dissing + Weitling
New, elegant bridge des igns for towns and cities
In the last decade a number of unique footbridges have
appeared in Danish towns and cities, of which the most
recent examples are the projected swing bridge across
Copenhagen Harbour and an arched bridge in the
Copenhagen suburb of Nørrebro. Today the aesthetics of
bridge design are playing a greater role than ever before
By Christina Tækker
Purely functional and monumental
footbridges are a thing of the past
in Denmark. Today, bridges for pedestrians and cyclists are developed
to be slim, light and well-designed.
As with the projected swing bridge
over Copenhagen Harbour, a couple
of bridges just outside Copenhagen
and most recently the Ågade arched
bridge in Copenhagen , which will
form part of the “green bicycle
route” between the municipalities
of Copenhagen and neighbouring
Frederiksberg.
The bridge across Ågade will follow the horizontal alignment of the
34 • International news magazine from cowi
existing bicycle path and is being per- Need for a setting
“In recent years we have entered
ceived as a gateway to Copenhagen
into a period where everything
with its special, inclined arch.
surrounding us should preferably
The trend is clear: these bridges
be designed or unique. Our homes
reflect an era in which everything
are increasingly for expressing our
has to be stylish. Bridges have enidentity. And this has now extended
tered our living rooms in the shape
into the environment around us,
of “coffee table” books featuring
where we have become much more
spectacular bridge design by leadconscious of our surroundings –
ing firms of architects such as
from bridges right down to the
WilkinsonEyre and Spanish architect
design of benches,” says architect
Calatrava. Bridge owners have also
Jesper Henriksen from the firm of
become increasingly aware that
architects Dissing + Weitling.
bridges stand as a landmark and
In recent years architects have
signal that the visual environment
experienced a growing demand for
has been taken into account.
architect-designed bridges around
the world. Where previously bridge
construction involved purely engineering, nowadays it often entails
close interplay between architect
and engineer. Today the majority
of bridge projects kick off as a competition among architects, with
the visual aspect of far greater
importance than it used to be.
Creative partnership
With a creative partnership going
back years, Dissing + Weitling and
COWI – architect and engineer – have
fashioned a partnership in which
aesthetics, economics and technology form a synthesis. The field of
work of engineers and architects
overlaps and during a project they
may test many different proposals
and suggestions that start off as
sketches filling reams of paper.
From the engineer’s perspective,
the new bridge projects involve a
greater creative challenge.
COWI project manager Ib Blom
Andersen says: “Engineers are often
a source of irritation to architects, as
we have a tendency to kill off their
ideas because the creative solutions
they embrace prove impractical
in reality. But the collaboration between Dissing + Weitling and COWI
has culminated in a more creative
way of working which has proven
inspiring and challenging in terms
of attaining a given goal that truly
represents the best possible solution.”
However, the team agrees there
is a risk that runaway creativity can
derail a project. There are any num-
ber of examples of unnecessary pylons and stays which – on a smaller
scale – serve no apparent purpose.
In such cases the static, functional
proportions become lost along the
way. But at present the prospect of
engineer and architect working
together on future bridge projects
involving even longer spans, higher
pylons and other materials appears
promising. Nor does it necessarily
need to cost any extra, says Ib Blom
Andersen:
“There is a tendency to believe
that large-scale architecture is costly.
But this is not necessarily the case.
The challenge is to accomplish
something beautiful that is also
economically feasible.”
@
Project manager
Ib Blom Andersen, iba@cowi.dk
With its lightweight appearance
in comparison to the arch,
Copenhagen’s Ågade footbridge
will stand in contrast to the solid
buildings typical of the area,”
says architect Jesper Henriksen
from the firm of architects
Dissing + Weitling.
Model photo: Dissing + Weitling
International news magazine from cowi • 35
Denmark receiving
heavier rainfall
Drip, drip, drip. The puddles get bigger
and bigger. Heavy rainfall is becoming
more frequent, and when it comes it is
more intense. Over the last 25 years the
heaviest rainfall has become 20-25 per
cent heavier in Denmark, a new analysis
carried out by cowi and dhi Water &
Environment shows.
“It surprises me that the rainfall has
become so heavy. We are seeing the
effects of climate change now which five
years ago we thought would happen over
the next 100 years or so,” says Karsten
Arnbjerg, project manager at cowi.
The extreme rainfall has implications
for the capacity of sewer systems in the
future, as well as for the way we develop
our urban areas. One possible solution
is to reserve special areas that can be
flooded during heavy rains.
@
Photo: Morten Larsen
Project manager Karsten Arnbjerg,
kar@cowi.dk