IDEA StatiCa in the Queen’s Wharf Skydeck Design
Brisbane | Australia
IDEA StatiCa & Robert Bird Group
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Since opening in late 2024, the Queen’s Wharf Skydeck has quickly established itself as a premier destination for panoramic views of Brisbane.
Perched 100 metres above the Brisbane River, the open-air observation deck and public space seamlessly connect the towers of the Queen’s Wharf development, offering breathtaking panoramas of the river, South Bank Parklands, and the city skyline.
Visitors can enjoy stunning views while indulging in a variety of dining options and experiencing the entertainment offerings that this world-class development has to offer.
About the Brisbane Queen’s Wharf Skydeck Engineering Project
The Queen’s Wharf Skydeck presented a significant engineering challenge, with its four towers (IT1, IT2, IT3, and IT4) connected by three fabricated steel truss bridges spanning 25 m, 30 m, and 35 m. These complex structures required intricate three-dimensional truss node connections, which had traditionally been difficult to model efficiently.
Dallas Lee, Principal Engineer at the Robert Bird Group, and his team turned to IDEA StatiCa to tackle these challenges. The software provided the flexibility and precision needed to accurately model and analyse the intricate steel connections, ensuring both safety and efficiency.
Two of the Skydeck’s spans—between IT1 and IT2 and between IT3 and IT4—incorporate permanent movement joints to accommodate independent tower movement. The IT1-2 span posed a unique challenge, extending 12 m from the tower’s façade and requiring a sophisticated articulation joint. The spans were preassembled and clad at podium level before being slid horizontally into place using a rail system and then strand-jacked into position.
“Prior to having IDEA StatiCa as a software package, we found designing and detailing very complicated or bespoke steel connections would take either a more conservative approach or we would spend a lot of time doing custom finite element analysis models.”
Dallas Lee, Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
The intersection of the truss nodes where the spans connected was particularly complex. Before adopting IDEA StatiCa, there was no software solution that could handle these connections without requiring a slow and labour-intensive manual modelling process in a finite element analysis (FEA) program. By leveraging IDEA StatiCa, the team was able to efficiently model and verify these intricate connections, significantly streamlining the design process while ensuring structural integrity.
Engineering the Queen’s Wharf Skydeck with IDEA StatiCa
The Queen’s Wharf development comprises four towers, with a sky bridge linking towers IT2 and IT3. However, the most significant structural challenges arose in designing the Skydeck spans between towers IT1 and IT2 and IT3 and IT4. These sections required highly complex truss nodes, making IDEA StatiCa the ideal solution for modelling and analysing the intricate steel connections efficiently.
Traditionally, modelling these nodes in finite element analysis (FEA) software would have been extremely time-consuming. However, IDEA StatiCa enabled the Robert Bird Group team to rapidly and accurately design and validate the bespoke steel connections required for the project.
Addressing Seismic Movement with Advanced Joint Design
A unique aspect of the project was the different seismic responses of towers IT1 and IT2. Because the towers move independently, locking the decks between them would have introduced significant internal forces. To prevent this, the team designed an articulation movement joint, allowing the decks to pivot. This was achieved using a bearing mounted on a steel corbel inside the structure, necessitating the creation of highly specialised fabricated steel connections.
“Previously, we would do very complicated FEA models, which obviously are quite time-consuming to put together. Whereas IDEA StatiCa makes that whole process a lot faster for us.”
Dallas Lee, Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Overcoming Complex Connection Challenges
The Skydeck’s structural profile also required innovative engineering solutions. Initially designed with a boat hull-shaped profile, a later adjustment introduced a crank in both the top surface and soffit, further complicating the steel connections. This resulted in secondary beams needing to crank through the primary truss line, adding another layer of complexity to the connection design.
Strict architectural constraints also dictated unconventional connection designs. Despite these challenges, IDEA StatiCa enabled Dallas and his team to efficiently model and verify even the most intricate connections, ensuring accuracy, safety, and confidence in delivering the project’s structural requirements.
Solutions and Results
For Dallas Lee and his team at the Robert Bird Group, the biggest takeaway from the project was the confidence they gained in their connection designs. Rather than relying solely on traditional finite element analysis (FEA) models, this confidence stemmed from the rigorous testing and validation made possible by IDEA StatiCa.
One of the most significant advantages was the ability to streamline their workflow. Since their primary FEA software, Strand7, does not have a direct BIM link, the team developed a custom Python script to extract member geometry and forces into the SAF file format. This allowed them to seamlessly import the data into IDEA StatiCa via Checkbot. The well-documented API of IDEA StatiCa ensured a smooth and accurate transfer of data, eliminating any risk of information loss.
“We had a very swift automation process, which was facilitated by the IDEA StatiCa BIM Links and SAF format import.”
Dallas Lee, Principal Engineer – Robert Bird Group
Previously, the team had two options: take a conservative approach by manually assessing connections or create time-consuming custom FEA models from scratch for highly complex details. By integrating IDEA StatiCa into their workflow, they could efficiently import member geometries and load cases, drastically reducing manual effort while ensuring accuracy.
This not only saved time but also allowed them to refine and optimise their designs with greater confidence. The ability to clearly communicate complex connection details to the fabricator was another key benefit, improving project efficiency from design to construction.
About Robert Bird Group
Robert Bird Group is a global consulting engineering firm with over 700 employees across eleven offices. A member of Surbana Jurong Group, they are committed to delivering each client’s vision through the relentless pursuit of engineering excellence across all projects. They offer services across five disciplines, drawing upon their international expertise: structural engineering, civil engineering, construction engineering, geotechnical engineering (UK and Middle East), virtual design and construction
The firm won the Public Vote category in the IDEA StatiCa Excellence Awards 2023.
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