SkyMate (also known as the MegaAdventure Park) is an aerial adventure park consisting of 54 ‘sky pod’ activity stations over four levels, which form the skeleton for over one hundred different aerial activities. It features high-ropes obstacles, free-fall jumps, suspension bridges and swings. The design allows for flexibility in the arrangement of the activities and has modular components allowing for future versatility.
The structure is 26 metres high and consists of six central columns surrounded by ten suspended columns, tied together with platform rings and structural cables.
The overall stability of the structure was achieved through linking the central columns with a rigid ring of platforms over four levels, in conjunction with an arrangement of horizontal cables and guy cables from level two down to the ground. Long platform spans were achieved through stiffening the beams with a tension rod to form a bowstring truss.
A staged finite element analysis was performed on the structure to confirm the robustness and redundancy of the structure should critical cables fail. A further analysis considered the structure’s overall response to a combination of lateral impact forces caused by the arrest of free-falls, should multiple people fall off a number of activities coincidentally.
No part of the steel structure is hidden from sight and thus the appearance of the structure lies wholly within the detailing of the steel and bolted connections. This required working closely with both the client and the builders to achieve the desired aesthetic.
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