Engineering pivoting shade structures for the Dubai Expo

This article focuses on the engineering of pivoting sunshade structures for the Dubai Expo 2020, which won a Structural Award 2022. Synopsis Most engineers will be familiar with regular-shaped, fixed buildings or structures and how to design to ensure loads can safely be transferred to the ground. But what happens when your structure is bespoke, irregular, permeable, flexible and moveable? This article outlines the unique challenges involved in developing a successful design for the shade structures at the Dubai Expo, which involved extensive wind tunnel testing, prototyping and engineering well outside the Eurocodes and usual day-to-day work of most structural engineers. The project won a Structural Award 2022 under the Process attribute that recognises technical achievement and innovation.