The Statue of Unity, a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, has been selected for ‘The Structural Awards 2019’ of the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE). Founded in Gujarat’s Kevadia town, it is erected as a tribute to the ‘iron man of India’.
Constructed in a record 33 months, it is the world’s tallest statue, stands at 182 metre. Its built as a memorial to the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for the role he played in unifying the country into a nation.
The Statue of Unity – one of the few man-made architectures – is visible from the space. A brow-raising 6,500 tonnes of structural steel, 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel, 1,700 tonnes of bronze cladding and 210,000 tonnes of concrete went into the making of the statue. More than 4,500 designers, architects, global consultants, engineers and workmen were engaged in this herculean task.
According to the institution’s website, it is one among the 49 structures that will vie for the prestigious award.
Other significant constructions which are shortlisted for the award include :
* A sports stadium of China with a roof made up of rotating petals.
* A basement built underneath a 5-star hotel in London with 22-metre depth.
* A Buildings that showcases the world’s best seismic performance in San Francisco.
IStructE has been awarding the structural excellences for the last 52 years. Professor Tim Ibell, this year’s head of the judging panel said,
“Our job has one more time demonstrated extraordinary innovation over the past year. This year’s list box includes many great examples of the ingenuity, creativity and skill of structural engineers worldwide.”
“The awards programme mainly aims at to increase awareness about some of the remarkable work that structural engineers do,” said Martin Powell, chief executive of the institution.
The judging panel offering their special comment on the Statue of Unity complemented its location and said that it is an impressive sculpture by virtue of its scale. They also commended the efforts of the engineers for defining the design loads, selecting the right materials for the right purposes, and handling the uncertainties of geology.
Created by architect Ram Suthar and constructed by Larsen and Toubro (L&T), the statue is featured with an audience gallery at an elevation of 150 metres, providing visitors a spectacular sight of the Sardar Sarovar Dam and its surrounding.
The winners will be announced at an award function in London on November 15.
