Dutch Pavilion World Expo 2010

Structurally, the Happy Street project is extremely complex; its realisation was only possible through the use of 3-D BIM. The pavilion is supported by columns alone: no shear walls are in place. The hanging houses result in a large number of eccentric loads. Earthquakes, which are not uncommon in this part of China, pose a completely different kind of risk. Apart from this – non-typically Dutch – stress on the building, the construction must in any case withstand millions of visitors walking on it without excessive vibration. The structure is formed by a steel shaft. Due to the shape of the design and the asymmetric placement of the small houses, the load-bearing structure had to be able to withstand torsional forces. This is why it was decided to have a 2.4 x 1-metre shaft bear the street. Overhanging I-profiles were attached to the shaft. These I-profiles furthermore were not standard. The problem was that because the street runs at an angle, the I-profiles also had to be at an angle. The I-profiles were custom-welded by the Chinese contractor in such a way that their body is positioned directly below the small houses. All pipelines, including a sprinkler system, were housed alongside the large shaft. Indeed, the pavilion had to meet a strict fire code. The architectural and constructive 3D design for the 350-metre long ‘Happy Street’ was developed by ABT. The Chinese Construction Group subsequently further developed the design to the construction level.