Hi Not sure how to embed a video in the post but here is a link to a newBBC show Megacities with Andrew Marr. Short clip of him going up to the top of the highest tower crane and chatting to the driver

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13621008

[dammit, beaten to it!!!]

BBC Video of Andrew Marr on the crane.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13621008

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110601_0047.jpg



This photo of Cybertect's shows how complex each of the concrete floors is - and of course, each one differs from the one below.

Doing one of these each week (and quite high up) is I think a pretty incredible achievement.

Link to Andrew Marrs Megacities - iPlayer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011ql6k/Andrew_Marrs_Megacities_Living_in_the_City/)

Sorry but the core is topped out :) were at 72 already since february.
I think they ment that 15 more concrete floor plates are to be poured not more core.

Hi Not sure how to embed a video in the post but here is a link to a newBBC show Megacities with Andrew Marr. Short clip of him going up to the top of the highest tower crane and chatting to the driver

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13621008

surely they cant include London as a mega city? Maybe its just a patriotic or intro piece!

Are you sure that's the highest TC, looks to be shorter than Swis Re in the background... seen the view from the highest crane on other programs and it looks a lot more impressive than where Marr is sat.

A couple of views from Bermondsey today

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110602_0105.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110602_0128.jpg

I think they ment that 15 more concrete floor plates are to be poured not more core.

Sorry i am dutch i thought poured meant something like bringing concrete up. What does it mean:lol::)

surely they cant include London as a mega city? Maybe its just a patriotic or intro piece!
London, with its metro area of greater than 10 Million (its 12.5 Million), is Megacity. Its placed at number 23 on the list of 27 Megacities.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/El_Greco/CityTower1.jpg

^^ always love seeing that view, one of my favourite :)

Fantastic shot there el_greco :drool:

^^ always love seeing that view, one of my favourite :)

+1

Those protective sheets on the inside of the glazing give a great insight into how the building will look with the roller blinds in use thought the building. Only difference is the hight and colour (grey not white).

I hope something is done with the spire like what New Yorks WTC will have (colour changing)

Also was the robot window cleaners true or was it a joke? :lol:

I hope something is done with the spire like what New Yorks WTC will have (colour changing)

Also was the robot window cleaners true or was it a joke? :lol:
I think they just mean its automated - there won't be metalic androids with a wet squeegy - though I would love to see that!

^^ maybe one day. :)

Hi Not sure how to embed a video in the post but here is a link to a newBBC show Megacities with Andrew Marr. Short clip of him going up to the top of the highest tower crane and chatting to the driver

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13621008

I really can't stand Andrew Marr. I'm sure the series would be great if it had a different presenter.

http://i55.************/nwzvko.jpg

http://i51.************/21lpbuc.jpg

I really can't stand Andrew Marr. I'm sure the series would be great if it had a different presenter.

+1 I thought the lady in Dhaka summed it up nicely when she thought he was Mr Bean. Actually.. that would have been an improvement.

Can you still see the red blind roll or has thet been hidden by the blinds

Yep - you can still see the blind boxes.

I am afraid my new camera is making me snap happy... :nuts:

Here's a bunch of photos selected from today's outing.

Another new lens in the mix, I'm also sorry to report. This was essentially a 'freebie' that came in a lot with a 24mm that I wanted. Its special properties are that it zooms from 75mm to 300mm. With G2 that's 600mm effective focal length 35mm; so, I took my tripod with me too because hand-holding something that long with a minimum aperture of f/5.6 with no Image Stabilsation is a bit of a tough call, even on a very sunny day like today. It's not a great lens, but it was an interesting experiment. :)

There's a few others from the evening on my way home at the end.

Usual mention that there's loads more in my Shard Gallery (http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/v/architecture/london/shard/)

Queen Elizabeth Street (24mm)

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0018.jpg


NE side of the core box from Tooley Street (300mm - spot the difference)

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0024.jpg


East side with the Xena Deck

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0041.jpg


South side of the core box from Weston Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0043.jpg


SE corner glazing

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0044.jpg


Slipform rig & the concrete pump

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0048.jpg


Backpack roof steel in situ

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0061.jpg


Backpack tower crane

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0063.jpg


South side hoist

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0068.jpg


Lowering a crane section at Gate 1

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0079.jpg


Gate 1: I just liked the light in this shot and the two guys talking by the fork lift make it. b/w seemed to suit it well. I think it may be one of my favourite photos I've taken since I started on The Shard.

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0084.jpg


West side from London Bridge Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0108.jpg


South side from St Thomas Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0121.jpg


Level 2 glazing on Joiner Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0125.jpg


Looking up the west side from Joiner Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0126.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0128.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/5795948642_5068582b0a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5795948642/)
shard today 4.6.2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5795948642/) by The Shard Baby (http://www.flickr.com/people/theshardbaby/), on Flickr

Great photos Cybertect as always. Does anybody think in the second to last photo, the right of the crease looks a teeny bit messy?

That is amazing zoom, detail and quality cybertect
Your lenses certainly reach parts ordinary cameras can't match. Very impressive.

Admire your perseverance TSB updating regularly.

Does anyone know how the maintenance cradles will work on this building? Are the running rails along the edge of the glazing involved in allowing them to get to the edges?
How does it work on the Trans-America tower?

Does anyone know how the maintenance cradles will work on this building? Are the running rails along the edge of the glazing involved in allowing them to get to the edges?

The information I have suggests that is correct. The cradles use the rails to get to the edges of the glazing.

Queen Elizabeth Street (24mm)

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110603_0018.jpg


Fantastic shot. :okay: Saved to my hard drive.

This is an amazing tower. I remember when it was first announced and whole debacle behind PWC and demolishing the existing structure. I've taken a step back from being a regular forumer on SSC due to other personal commitments. I do pop in from time to time to check on progress and to read news. It's very good to see members, both old timers and new sign ups in contributing to recording the construction of such a marvel.

Thank you all for your contributions. Not necessarily pictures, but worthwhile discussions too. :)


Right, let's organise a Shard site visit :)

Right, let's organise a Shard site visit :)

Yes, I've been thinking about this. Wouldn't it be awesome. :)

I'd rather go when it's topped out, though, or when they're doing the radiator floors.

One of my old neighbours from when I lived in Scotland knows somebody working on the Shard, I could speak to him and see if they're still in contact (and if the guy is still on-site, or if he was only doing the prep work) unless someone else has an easier way of possibly getting a site visit? (Might be a bit early, but we might as well start thinking about options. :tongue2:)

Great photos Cybertect as always. Does anybody think in the second to last photo, the right of the crease looks a teeny bit messy?

Couldn't agree more. Nasty little things like this cheapen the whole effect. It almost looks like someone popped down to B&Q and came up with a bodged solution!:weird:

what flaw will the skybar be?

what flaw will the skybar be?

Hopefully they'll build it robust and safe so it has no flaws.

what flaw will the skybar be?

It won't be a flaw, it'll be a valuable feature.

The thread gone bad.

The top of the Shard from Vauxhall Bridge :banana:

http://i51.************/rt3gxv.jpg

It won't be a flaw, it'll be an valuable feature.

:ohno:

A couple of stitched vertical panos taken on Friday

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/5801376218_3a34d85942_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5801376218/)
The Shard: West side from St Thomas Street (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5801376218/) by cybertect (http://www.flickr.com/people/cybertect/), on Flickr


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/5800820345_b36796def1_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5800820345/)
The Shard: West side from Railway Approach (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5800820345/) by cybertect (http://www.flickr.com/people/cybertect/), on Flickr

It's noticeable even from Park Royal :) (sorry guys for low quality)

http://http://imageshack.us/f/850/imag0024g.jpg

link: http://imageshack.us/f/850/imag0024g.jpg/

Great shots Cyberman!

The glass got a good rinse overnight with 12 hours of rain. Notice the difference!
http://i51.************/2h31t2u.jpg

More of the new concourse roof opened up at London Bridge Station, London SE1.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/5803348985_6d1e91d39e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5803348985/)
Are you with the project team? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5803348985/) by cybertect (http://www.flickr.com/people/cybertect/), on Flickr

"Are you with the project team?"

[I was being careful not to block anyone's passage and I'd taken just one pic before this when he pounced]

"Er, no, I'm not."

"If you aren't you'll need to go to the office to get permission to take photos"

"Even for just a couple of pics with my with my phone?"

"Yes"

"Oh"

I left and descended the escalators, past five PCs at its bottom with black labradors sniffing for something.

:ohno:

Oh, cock. Hoist by my own petard again. :ohno:

Here, have a Pilchard Point.

I left and descended the escalators, past five PCs at its bottom with black labradors sniffing for something.

Labrador butt, probably.

is there a law that says it's illegal to take photos inside the station?

Oh, cock. Hoist by my own petard again. :ohno:

Here, have a Pilchard Point.

Nice try ;)

is there a law that says it's illegal to take photos inside the station?

No, but under English law as it's private property (owned by Network Rail - a company wholly owned by the UK government but still technically private, natch) they can ask you to leave the premises or risk committing a trespass.

Railway companies have had quite wide powers in relation to trespass since the 1840s.

is there a law that says it's illegal to take photos inside the station?

No law, but as it's private property, the owners (Network Rail) can dicatate what you do on their property. If you don't comply it becomes trespass, which is a civil matter.

edit: Oops. cybertect got there first.

No law, but as it's private property, the owners (Network Rail) can dicatate what you do on their property. If you don't comply it becomes trespass, which is a civil matter.

edit: Oops. cybertect got there first.

Most people in authority will quote the Anti-Terrorism Act, others are just jobsworths.

I found this interesting article - it could be of interest to anyone wishing to photograph the new station and post images here...

http://www.urban75.org/photos/photographers-rights-tube-railways.html

I've found being polite to the police on the number of times i've been stopped means they are absolutely fine and on each occasion have taken an actual interest in what I'm doing eg discussing cameras etc and even techniques on one occasion.

Security guards are a different matter - as long as you are on public land - path or road etc I either take absolutely no notice of them as though they aren't there- which is quite amusing or after taking all the pictures I want then confront them and challenge them - Security guards need challenging (verbally) to leave them in no doubt they are in the wrong (if you are in the right obviously)

'I'm a photographer not a terrorist' is another good web site - they hold demos / flash mobs etc to demonstrate against photographers being hassled.

http://photographernotaterrorist.org

I would have been interesting to see what different reaction you got if you pretended to be a foreign tourist or were a foreign tourist.

It won't be a flaw, it'll be a valuable feature.

sorry I meant floors :nuts:

I would have been interesting to see what different reaction you got if you pretended to be a foreign tourist or were a foreign tourist.

I'm sure if you look middle eastern and say you are from Iran they will react totally different when you take photos lol, maybe even land yourself in Guantanomo Bay lol

I noticed today that "The Shard" restaurant on Tooley St has renamed itself to "The Shad", without of course the a looking like a certain building under construction.

I hear they were required to change the name.

I noticed today that "The Shard" restaurant on Tooley St has renamed itself to "The Shad", without of course the a looking like a certain building under construction.

I was trying to work out which one was The Shard. It's the one with the naked guy with the unfeasibly long forearm (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tooley+Street,+Camberwell,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.122306,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tooley+St,+Camberwell,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.50446,-0.082704&spn=0.000412,0.001321&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=51.50446,-0.082704&panoid=sICH9aB7IW_kzOIg9sOw0w&cbp=12,169.9,,3,-6.51) in the upstairs window.

Does anyone know the actual completion date or month this has. Ive looked at a few different sources and they all have different times.

I was trying to work out which one was The Shard. It's the one with the naked guy with the unfeasibly long forearm (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tooley+Street,+Camberwell,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.122306,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tooley+St,+Camberwell,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.50446,-0.082704&spn=0.000412,0.001321&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=51.50446,-0.082704&panoid=sICH9aB7IW_kzOIg9sOw0w&cbp=12,169.9,,3,-6.51) in the upstairs window.
LOL His other hand is under his elbow

A couple of pics taken on my way into work this morning

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0001.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0002.jpg

can someone tell me what's happening with the part circled in this picture?
is it going to stay that way or will it eventually meet up with the backpack like i'm sure it is supposed to..?

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8783/a9dw9ya7.png

I was trying to work out which one was The Shard. It's the one with the naked guy with the unfeasibly long forearm (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tooley+Street,+Camberwell,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.122306,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tooley+St,+Camberwell,+Greater+London,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.50446,-0.082704&spn=0.000412,0.001321&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=51.50446,-0.082704&panoid=sICH9aB7IW_kzOIg9sOw0w&cbp=12,169.9,,3,-6.51) in the upstairs window.

It's in the location where "Fuzzy's Grub" was. Google Streetview hasn't been updated. Number 98 is the phone shop next door. (Two doors down from Mr Longarm).

Here's a picture from when it was called The Sha*d:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5564861404/

I'm glad the restaurant hasn't capitulated fully and is still cocking a snook at those bullies at London Bridge Quarter.

Update: This is what it looks like today - it has also lost the "The"
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com/images/shard/shad.jpg

can someone tell me what's happening with the part circled in this picture?
is it going to stay that way or will it eventually meet up with the backpack like i'm sure it is supposed to..?

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8783/a9dw9ya7.png
It will meet up. There is an extra 'story; of glazing around the top of each backpack block which will screen the plant and cleaning hoists. You can just see the upright supports for it in that photo. When installed, the two parts will line up properly.

It will meet up. There is an extra 'story; of glazing around the top of each backpack block which will screen the plant and cleaning hoists. You can just see the upright supports for it in that photo. When installed, the two parts will line up properly.

There will still be a short width of overhang to the right of the backpack though (unless they are planning on an elaborate corner that leans out to meet it?)

Some cool pics from an article in Building Magazine today....

http://www.building.co.uk/attachments.aspx?attype=P&storycode=5018014&atcode=1693856

(just testing to see whether this works as it's subscriber-only content)

Ok you can't post an image on here unless it's a URL....that's just silly

Anyway....has nice views inside the slipform...etc

ANYWAY.....The article...

Londoners have hardly been able to believe their eyes as the capital’s tallest building has shot up in front of them at dizzying speed. Building braves icy winds to report on an engineering triumph


If ever there was a symbol of confidence for an industry on its uppers, the Shard must be it. It strode confidently from ground level to be the UK’s tallest building in just 11 months - at a time when many other central London offices were being put on hold. Now a bold new feature on the London skyline, its developer, Sellar, is so confident of the building’s success, it got anchor tenant Transport for London out from the building because it knows it can get far more rent when the Shard is finished in 2012. The whole construction programme is geared for speed so Sellar can capitalise on a market hungry for prime office space.

The cladding is 60% complete and the services are about to be commissioned. “The project below level 31 is largely complete,” says Flan McNamara, project direct for Sellar, adding that the office fit-out is starting on the lower floors.

This quick turnaround is even more impressive considering the project start was delayed by four months. The switch from construction management to a fixed price contract, coupled with protracted negotiations with Network Rail and a trickier demolition job than originally envisaged, meant the job didn’t get going until March 2009. Keeping the same completion date with a new 38-week programme has driven three key innovations on this project in a bid to claw the time back. The first was “jump starting” the core, a technique where core construction starts before the basement is finished (see Building, 30 April 2010). This saved between six and eight weeks on the programme but this still left a lot of time to be made up. The core is finished and the floors are racing towards the top so the team is on track to hit its completion date of May next year. How have they done it?

The core
The core has been built using slipform construction. A rig attached to the top of the core is used to form the core walls as a continual concrete pour. The rig is moved upwards at a constant rate to keep up with the pour. A tower crane is needed to build the core so this too is attached to the top. As the core is built, additional sections are added to the crane so it isn’t overtaken by the core. The slipform on the Shard moves at 150mm an hour which means the crane needs to be jumped twice a week. According to Gareth Lewis, contractor Mace’s chief operating officer for construction, keeping the core moving upwards was the key to the rest of the project. “We recognised early on that moving the core along faster helped with the critical path of fixing the frame to the core,” he says.

But this process is at the mercy of the weather - wind speed must be below 25mph when the crane is jumped up a section. “There was a stage last year with a crane when we were winded off for four weeks in a row,” says Lewis.

At low temperatures, we pull people down into the area protected by the cladding because of the risk of frostbite

Tony Palgrave, Mace
To get around the risk to the programme posed by the weather the team eliminated the need to add sections to the crane. Instead of being fixed to the core, it is attached to the slipform rig so it moves up at the same rate. The tail of the crane still needs bracing against the walls inside the core so is attached to a “the sledge” - a frame featuring hydraulic jacks that fit between the sledge and the core wall. When the core moves, the jacks are slackened off slightly so the sledge and crane can move too. Then pressure is applied to the jacks, locking everything together. Sophisticated GPS positioning was used to ensure the rig went up perfectly vertical, a traditional downside of slipform construction. “Not only has this saved time, it de-risked the whole programme,” beams Lewis, adding that the core was completed bang on its new target date of 10 December 2010.

The frame
The first 40 floors of the Shard are constructed from steel which was relatively straightforward to build. At level 41 the frame switches to concrete with post-tensioned slabs which presented the team with another challenge. The tendons used for the post-tensioning have to be tensioned at the edge of the slab. Traditionally a flying scaffold is used for this purpose - cantilevering out beyond the building boundary to provide a platform. “If we had scaffolding hanging over the side of the building, not only do you have to keep dismantling and erecting it, but you have the risk of something falling off the building which is a major risk to us with the station below,” says Tony Palgrave, Mace’s operation director.

As with the core construction, wind is a potential problem. It could prevent the scaffolding being moved as well as stopping work on the labour-intensive frame construction. Wind chill is an added problem. “At low temperatures, we pull people down into the area protected by the cladding because of the risk of frostbite,” explains Palgrave.

Cue another groundbreaking innovation. The team has developed a platform that moves up with the post-tensioning work. It has screens at the side that keep the wind off, enabling the team to work safely and with wind-speeds of up to 50mph. When conditions have been bad the only zone that is out of bounds is the section of completed frame between the post-tensioning platform and the clad area below.

The rig is attached to rails fixed to the side of the building so it can winch itself up. But there is an added complication. “It would have been much easier if the building was straight but of course it tapers,” sighs McNamara. This means the size of the rig has to be adjusted as it progresses upwards. The rig is made up from a series of sections that can be taken out as the building narrows and this is done by tower crane at night. The rig was trialled in a site in Docklands and fitted to the building last Christmas to give the post-tensioning team “a flying start” at the beginning of this year. “It’s been a saving grace from the health and safety and programme point of view,” says McNamara. The rig encloses four levels which equates to an output of one completed floor a week. McNamara says the post-tensioning work has gone “incredibly well” despite the cold snap at the beginning of the year which meant concrete couldn’t be poured for a time. “Despite the bad weather, we’ve lost virtually no time,” McNamara says. The team is now at level 56.

Below all this work, the cladding is being installed, so far up to level 42. Installation is simple as it is a unitised system installed from inside the building using mini cranes.

The M&E installation
Further down again and the M&E installation is in full swing. Peter Savoy, Mace’s operations director, says the M&E is 75% complete because the bulk of it is concentrated on the office floors where commissioning is about to start. “There’s 16 months to practical completion and we are about to commission the services for the first 28 floors,” he says. “I’ve never been on a job where there is such a long time between commissioning and practical completion.”

The reason the service installation has been so quick is down to prefabrication. “The strategy is to reduce the number of people onsite - this is a job you couldn’t have done without a prefab approach,” says McNamara. “What’s new here is the extent of prefabrication,” explains Palgrave. “We haven’t had any welding or pipe threading on site,” - apparently cutting the number of M&E workers by half.

The three basements are stuffed full of plant. The strategy was to bring in service modules and install these from the edge of the basement towards the middle. Blockwork walls were built as the modules were installed to speed the job up. There is no first and second electric fixing on this job, instead cables are installed, terminated and labelled in one go. “This was a big cultural change and took quite a bit of driving through,” says Palgrave adding that the job was made easier as the M&E installation is being done by Mace’s in-house services arm.


The spire
Prefabrication is also the answer to the most potentially challenging part of the project - the top 15 floors, otherwise known as the spire. Work will start on this in September and it will extend from level 72 up to 87 … and beyond, as the spire has to support the cladding “shards” which will extend above the uppermost level.

The steel spire will be made by specialist contractor Severfield-Reeve with work starting this June. It will consist of three-storey high sections with eight of these making up the full floor plate. “It’s more akin to building an offshore oil rig,” comments McNamara. Severfield-Reeve will make the sections and assemble them at its Yorkshire factory. This will include staircases, floorplates and cladding brackets. “It means we know it will fit together,” says Lewis.

They chose to outsource the spire because: “It is going to be done over the winter and the last thing you want is guys with their hands frozen 70 storeys up,” remarks Lewis.

The spire will be broken down into lorry-friendly pieces and taken down to London. Here the pieces will be re-assembled, lifted into position and bolted up at height. The team says the plan is to finish it before spring next year - depending on the weather. By then the Shard hopefully should be a bold symbol for a resurgent office market.

LOGISTICS - MANAGING MEN AND MATERIALS
Constructing Europe’s tallest building within the precincts of London Bridge station and next to a hospital makes for a big logistical headache. The site is so tight that most deliveries have to be handled within the footprint of the building - large sections of cladding have been left off at the lower level to accommodate these deliveries. Five vehicles can be handled at once and are booked in via a web-based system. Vehicles are held in streets away from the site and are called in by marshals the minute a slot becomes free. Vehicles are unloaded by various means depending on their position on the site; some goods are lifted straight into position by tower cranes with the rest being unloaded and taken up the building by other means.

The building uses two external hoists which have been specially adopted to cope with the tapering structure. The project includes another first, “jump lifts”, which are made by Kone. These are conventional looking lifts installed inside the permanent lift shafts. The difference is that the motor room can move up the lift shaft as the building is constructed. There are two goods lifts with a capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes, and two passenger lifts. The external hoists crawl up the side of the Shard at 0.5m/s but the jump lifts travel at 2.5m/s. “When you are talking about getting men all the way to the top of the building, it makes a huge difference,” says Palgrave.

Even so, getting 1,100 workers on and off site each day is a major challenge. According to Savoy, people were reporting an average journey time of 35 minutes to get down the building, find what they needed and return to the top. The strategy is to minimise these trips by providing facilities internally. The main canteen is on level five, with satellite canteens fed by this on levels 15 and 32. The idea is to provide satellite canteens and toilets every 10 floors to minimise the amount of time workers spend travelling. The main site office is on level eight and there will be a satellite office created at level 47 which will have internet connections and a full set of drawings to save workers the trip down the building to get construction information. The final strand in this strategy is to prefabricate as much as possible to keep the number of workers onsite to a minimum.
Project team
client Sellar Properties
concept architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop
detail architect Adamson Associates
structural, geotechnical and acoustic engineer WSP Cantor Seinuk
M&E engineer Arup
project manager Turner & Townsend
main contractor Mace
cost consultant Davis Langdon
piling subcontractor Stent Foundations
concrete subcontractor Byrne Bros
construction engineer Robert Bird Group
steel frame contractor Severfield-Reeve Structures
cladding Scheldebouw

There will still be a short width of overhang to the right of the backpack though (unless they are planning on an elaborate corner that leans out to meet it?)

I don't think there will be any overhang to the right. The angle of that picture is misleading. I'm sure the cladding is in alignment with the backpack. If you look at the webcam sited on the east side you will see what I mean. But perhaps that is equally deceptive!

These angles might be helpful. The glazing wing oversails the edge of the Mini-Backpack.

http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/d/120633-2/20110603_0033.jpg

http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/d/120357-2/20110601_0035.jpg

I'm not sure if there's a 'roof' level to go on top of the Mini Backpack, to correspond with the one that's being put on top of the 'big' Backpack.

Many thanks for the great article Buck Rogers

Thanks Cybertect. Your pics make it a lot clearer. Definitely an overhang there!

Deleted

the light was so bright this evening, the Shard dazzled so brightly that it created shadows that competed with the suns shadows - see the direction of the peoples shadows on London Bridge.

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_2288.jpg

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_2299.jpg

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_2292.jpg

http://web.me.com/benveasey/_MG_2306.jpg

Wow that is so unnatural. It's not always like that is it?

Thank you, Chest. :applause:

looks like something out of a hipgnosis sleeve, spectacular.

Chest is a marvellous photographer. Its fantastic art, but its not to be confused with real life. Thank you Chest ;)

^^Yeah he is, thank you chest. We are spoilt for telnet on this forum, so many devoted members :).

I was in London today. :D

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5818750786_48995724fc_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2097/5818183089_b58f535eff_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2276/5818751166_92e8317aa5_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/5818751510_43674e518e_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2515/5818183757_572de8b46a_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5033/5818751864_fe99601e09_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2215/5818184209_618ed8d51c_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5818184491_c2acc8dcec_b.jpg
by ghost-of-sparta (http://www.flickr.com/people/ghost-of-sparta/), on Flickr

looks like something out of a hipgnosis sleeve, spectacular.

Aye :cool:

Aye :cool: You can talk! You're another right Royal master. You can make a sows ear look like a silk purse ;)

Well done guys - to all picture posters

:lol:

Maybe, but we didn't have that kind of light at lunch time. :(

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0061.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0068.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0086.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110607_0087.jpg

Will this building be listed as 72 or 86 storeys when its finished? Can't wait til its complete!

Strictly speaking and referring to a discussion on the St George thread it should be a 73 floor or 87 sloor building as would be the case counting as the US do with the ground floor as F1

I went to the Miller pub on Snowfields tonight. First time I've been up close and personal with the Shard since it was a mere babe......

......Wow!

You can't begin to understand how big it is until you're actually there.

I got vertigo looking up at it. Wonderful.

A View from on high

Guys Roof

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/Danlux/IMG_0236.jpg

Strata (I think it's called)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/Danlux/IMG_0235.jpg

^^

That first pic above would make a pretty dismal view from my squillion-dollar penthouse window!

Watching BBC News last night, an Arsenal footballer was being interviewed at a training ground that was dominated by the Shard.

A little extra from yesterday - a four shot vertical pano from the North side of the Thames.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3662/5810871487_2be681eb30_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5810871487/)
Shard: North Side Vertical Pano (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5810871487/) by cybertect (http://www.flickr.com/people/cybertect/), on Flickr

^^ Ah, well done - you caught the nekkid people on Hay's Wharf!

That last one is awesome. Thanks Chest!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/5812241783_a2f4121e9f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5812241783/)
shard today 8.6.2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5812241783/) by The Shard Baby (http://www.flickr.com/people/theshardbaby/), on Flickr

I'm sure I caught a glimpse of the Shard (at night) at the beginning of the new BT homehub advert. Has anyone else seen it?

Shardbaby, love your stuff.

But is it possible that you're a time emperor, rather than emporer?

^^ I think it's purposely spelt wrong- something to with doctor who I'm guessing? I dont watch it so...

being curious.. how much is a residential apt?

If my memory is correct, the bottom five storeys of the concrete section (grey on The Shard Baby's diagram) are the hotel; up from there , the rest of the concrete levels are residential.

If my memory is correct, the bottom five storeys of the concrete section (grey on The Shard Baby's diagram) are the hotel; up from there , the rest of the concrete levels are residential.

I think newbie11 meant asking price. Not sure that info is available yet.

I think the old addage is that if you have to ask the price...

good article on the subject here : http://es.homesandproperty.co.uk/area_guides/london/regenerationoflondonbridge.html

they say could be £4k psf and there's 62500 sq ft, so that would be a total price of £250m!!!!

13 floors of apartments (53 to 65). To make the maths easy, call it 25 apartments, makes it an average of £10M each.

The way these things work is that there tend to be more smaller ones (lets say 30 at £4-5m) and a small number of penthouses (3 at £25M and 1 at £50m+). I'd struggle to see you could get too many more flats in those floorplates, average of 4800 sqft/floor

We'll see how close that is in a year or so!

I think newbie11 meant asking price. Not sure that info is available yet.

Memo to self: don't post on forums before I've finished my morning coffee :)

I'm sure I caught a glimpse of the Shard (at night) at the beginning of the new BT homehub advert. Has anyone else seen it?

No you weren't mistaken... It's right at the start.

http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com/images/shard/bthomehub.jpg

yet another terrible article courtesy of the Evening Standard and Metro with photo of the Shard!

Design of skyscraper cities leads to more pollution, says study

City pollution is soaring in summer because vast swathes of paving and brick retain too much heat at nigh, and tall buildings block the cooling winds that should clear airborne pollutants, researchers say.

London is building its tallest skyscraper, the Shard (PA)

Town planners across the world must change tactics to improve air quality, according to the report by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Greener cities with more lakes and ponds would have less pollution, even if carbon dioxide emissions from cars and homes stayed the same, said the US group.

‘The night-time temperature would be lower and winds would become stronger, blowing the pollution out to sea,’ it added.

The international study was held to examine reports of falling air quality in fast-growing cities, particularly those near coasts.

The key reason was found to be manmade – but not the usual suspects of global warming and increasing CO2 emissions.

Instead, the paving over of green spaces and bigger building projects was blamed.
In Houston, Texas, for example, ‘the developed area has a major impact on local air pollution’, said the group. ‘If the city continues to expand, it is going to make the winds even weaker in the summertime and that will make air pollution much worse,’ the report added.

Houston’s authorities have tried to tackle air pollution with strict carbon dioxide emission targets.

Other cities have taken similar steps, including London with its congestion zone and bike hire scheme.

However, the capital is also building its tallest skyscraper, the Shard.

The report will be published in the Journal of Geophysical Research later this month.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/865734-design-of-skyscraper-cities-leads-to-more-pollution-says-study#ixzz1OnG5XLoL

and, from the 72nd floor to the top of the building, that space is going to be empty? without any kind of use? because it seems like 20 more floors.

Sorry if the question is so stupid, but i didn't find information of it.

yet another terrible article courtesy of the Evening Standard and Metro with photo of the Shard!

Design of skyscraper cities leads to more pollution, says study

City pollution is soaring in summer because vast swathes of paving and brick retain too much heat at nigh, and tall buildings block the cooling winds that should clear airborne pollutants, researchers say.

London is building its tallest skyscraper, the Shard (PA)

Town planners across the world must change tactics to improve air quality, according to the report by the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Greener cities with more lakes and ponds would have less pollution, even if carbon dioxide emissions from cars and homes stayed the same, said the US group.

‘The night-time temperature would be lower and winds would become stronger, blowing the pollution out to sea,’ it added.

The international study was held to examine reports of falling air quality in fast-growing cities, particularly those near coasts.

The key reason was found to be manmade – but not the usual suspects of global warming and increasing CO2 emissions.

Instead, the paving over of green spaces and bigger building projects was blamed.
In Houston, Texas, for example, ‘the developed area has a major impact on local air pollution’, said the group. ‘If the city continues to expand, it is going to make the winds even weaker in the summertime and that will make air pollution much worse,’ the report added.

Houston’s authorities have tried to tackle air pollution with strict carbon dioxide emission targets.

Other cities have taken similar steps, including London with its congestion zone and bike hire scheme.

However, the capital is also building its tallest skyscraper, the Shard.

The report will be published in the Journal of Geophysical Research later this month.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/865734-design-of-skyscraper-cities-leads-to-more-pollution-says-study#ixzz1OnG5XLoL

What irrelevant bollocks that idea seems to be. Heat hitting the city centre rises, drawing in and creating winds from outside the city. Thats why London can have very sudden storms in summer - moist hot air rising upward and condensing.

However, Its thought that the amount of front gardens in London turned over to hard surface parking in the last 20 years equals approximately 22 Hyde parks!!! Now which causes the more significant pollution I wonder?

From the junction of Druid Street and Tower Bridge Road, messing about with another £25 eBay lens - a Canon FD 135mm f/2.5

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/20110609_0043.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/20110609_0046.jpg

Ohh I was in London today! I took a few snaps :banana:

From Greenwich Observatory - Lovely views from here of Canary Wharf too..http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/5816901284_23338a8c05_b_d.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5061/5816911310_95e9039eb3_b_d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3602/5816351085_e3969a3865_b_d.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/5816909376_d51bbf186d_b_d.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63879468@N07/5816344913/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/5816353135_7a53f7c6e8_b_d.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2177/5816359579_52ea9e1b42_b_d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/5816931790_030e207a3d_b_d.jpg

From the docklands One Canada plaza (I think)

http://i54.************/wi3pg4.jpg

Here is a video I took. However I thought I shot it in HD I only found out that I didn't when I got home :ohno:

http://youtu.be/jylHFfy95X0

Level 56 is out the screens-Level 60 being poured and some screens been taken off.

its been bloody windy recently, the top crane doesn't seem to have been up to much.....

I don't know what it is about this build but I just find it a bit unreal. I can see it from my kitchen, walk within half a mile of it every day and yet I still don't feel it is actually happening. I think it might be that it's location is so well known to me that I'm kind of blanking the thought out that there will be a 1000ft skyscraper there soon.

On the pictures half of the glass seems to be white. Is this protective sheet or the glass pattern.

Here is some more from London Bridge station...
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5817028188_11daa29a52_b_d.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5158/5819349677_f27ceec7ba_b_d.jpg

From Rotten Row in Hyde Park yesterday

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/20110610_0074.jpg

North side crane being dismantled at the moment. Didn't open the window so poor shots through double glazing
http://i53.************/c877r.jpg

They're going down like dominoes, as it were.

I look in awe at those guys dismantling those cranes. I get dizzy on my kitchen steps. :nuts:

I look in awe at those guys dismantling those cranes. I get dizzy on my kitchen steps. :nuts:

You should ease up on the gin!

^^ Oh no! I need that to settle my nerves in the first place. :)

By the way Shard is NOT I repeat NOT higher than Commerzbank Tower & MesseTurm in Frankfurt nor is it even at the height ofTorre Caja Madrid which is now complete

Just want to make that point clear to someone who is arguing on my youtube page!:bash:

But no one's arguing that here. :confused:

By the way Shard is NOT I repeat NOT higher than Commerzbank Tower & MesseTurm in Frankfurt nor is it even at the height ofTorre Caja Madrid which is now complete

Just want to make that point clear to someone who is arguing on my youtube page!:bash:

Not yet, but it will be when the Shard is topped out

But no one's arguing that here. :confused:

then I have clearly won the argument over there.

Since I started the whole 'it's taller than Guys thing' last year I deserve some honour.

then I have clearly won the argument over there.

Since I started the whole 'it's taller than Guys thing' last year I deserve some honour.

Oh. So is it taller than Guys now?

Oh. So is it taller than Guys now?

Oh dear...
:ohno:

What a building.

Since I started the whole 'it's taller than Guys thing' last year I deserve some honour.

It's not.

Lol, is it taller than the Guy's yet?:rofl:I remember that badly!
Yesterday:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2213/5823113123_6509a281b1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5823113123/)
Shard diagram-11.6.2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5823113123/) by The Shard Baby (http://www.flickr.com/people/theshardbaby/), on Flickr

I still can't get by on how detailed and precise your diagrams are Shard Baby. Fantastic work as usual :)

5 Days ago
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2278/5823689041_e92d6a8da6_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5823689041/)
Shard From afar 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5823689041/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5118/5824249654_f536e175ee_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824249654/)
Shard From afar (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824249654/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

8 Days ago
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/5824247828_9f3669159e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824247828/)
The Shard of Glass (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824247828/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5824245426_a1dd4cd2a3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824245426/)
Shard Of Glass (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824245426/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/5824243030_ef190832e2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824243030/)
Shard from London Bridge (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824243030/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/5823672643_c68cf75c33_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5823672643/)
City of London (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5823672643/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr

8 Days ago
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5824245426_a1dd4cd2a3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824245426/)
Shard Of Glass (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16583702@N04/5824245426/) by supertallrobbo (http://www.flickr.com/people/16583702@N04/), on Flickr
r

Black top, shoes & handbag....who says men cant clothes coordinate!?

Excellent update.....makes it look like its summer.

Best observation/comment ever mulattokid! Creased me up.

After trying to register a few years ago and it failing I final was able to a few days ago at last :tongue2: Briefly checked up on the Shard yesterday and as I approached London Bridge train station it really did look absolutely Massive! And to think there is still a little bit to go before the full height.

^ welcome to the forum, as initiation to SSC its customary for new members to take 3 days off work and catalogue every construction site in zones1-3 and present their results on here....

I know I did.

Loving the black handbag!

I look in awe at those guys dismantling those cranes. I get dizzy on my kitchen steps. :nuts:

I'd love to get up there and do something like that, but I do climb mountains.

^^ A member of the Cambridge Mountaineering Club ? :)

I happened to be in Brixton this evening (*sudders*) and from the centre of Brixton Hill (road), you get an excellent view of the city. The Shard looked stunning. I just wish I had my camera!

^^ A member of the Cambridge Mountaineering Club ? :)

I have to borrow them from other people :p

Is it taller than guys yet = least funny thing evar!

From the roof terrace of Jean Nouvel's One New Change this afternoon.

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110613_0209.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110613_0210.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110613_0231.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110613_0233.jpg

^^

Very nice. We haven't had shots from there in ages.

Oh is it open to the public Rob? Wonderful!

It's been open to the Public since October last year I think, such a great spot to view the City.
Madison has just opened on the far side too.

^^ I didn't think you could see the City from One New Change. Just the South and West.

Haha, I go to Brixton regularly, and find it fine. I was being ironic. Besides, I've only ever known one person being mugged there.

EDIT: Also kinda proud that my comment made you use your first post since 2009 ;)

^^ I didn't think you could see the City from One New Change. Just the South and West.

I think .Adam meant the city as in urbanscape, in general. besides you could argue there is a great view of the city south and west from the deck anyway - just not the skyscraper sort :0

http://i51.************/2mg9gew.jpg

http://i53.************/2a9sdfr.jpg

http://i54.************/vcuj42.jpg

http://i51.************/v6hn9x.jpg

^^ What!!!! Who is that invisible man!:nuts:

^^ What!!!! Who is that invisible man!:nuts:

Ryan Giggs !

http://i51.************/v6hn9x.jpg
That post-modern tat in the foreground is appalling and ruins this view of the Shard - why design buildings to look like castles anyway?

That post-modern tat in the foreground is appalling and ruins this view of the Shard - why design buildings to look like castles anyway?


haha reminds me off the time when that man asked Prince Charles "why the hell did they build Windsor castle under a flight path?"

Bonus vertical pano from One New Change

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5227/5833785717_e3018ebf90_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5833785717/)
The Shard from One New Change (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybertect/5833785717/) by cybertect (http://www.flickr.com/people/cybertect/), on Flickr

^ ooo sir you spoil us...this tower is looking increasingly slender as the floors get poured, quite the opposite from what i expected.

^ ooo sir you spoil us...this tower is looking increasingly slender as the floors get poured, quite the opposite from what i expected.

You must have been thinking about 20 Fenchurch Street.. sorry couldn't help it :wink2:

Taken at the weekend. The weather was terrible so I didn't get many photos.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/024-4.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w222/stefan_long18/025-3.jpg

Two from today taken by me :)

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5280/5836579393_bc457a6c90_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/5837128692_258ac428a1_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/5837217074_738fbdb20c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5837217074/)
shard diagram-15.6.2011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshardbaby/5837217074/) by The Shard Baby (http://www.flickr.com/people/theshardbaby/), on Flickr
Just look at how much core is left to fill in!

http://i54.************/2a82e1l.jpg

Couple of aerial shots by Jason Hawkes -

http://yfrog.com/z/kjiubyyj

http://yfrog.com/z/kinqpoj

I'm in London at the moment. This is the only shot I managed to get on the journey to my sisters place!

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/247435_10150333797182598_603132597_9926786_7092312_n.jpg

anyone see the bullshit that's been posted on the msn website? of the 19 most "Ugly buildings"

the shard was affectionatly described as "a giant penis that's made an appearance at a very inopportune and unwelcome moment"

just pissed me off seeing this and though i should share :bleep:

anyone see the bullshit that's been posted on the msn website? of the 19 most "Ugly buildings"

the shard was affectionatly described as "a giant penis that's made an appearance at a very inopportune and unwelcome moment"

just pissed me off seeing this and though i should share :bleep:

I wouldn't take bullshit from sites like that seriously to be honest XD, I mean come on Sagrada Familia,The Shard,The Beekman and Buckingham Palace on a list of ugliest buildings :bash:, they're just trying to increase site traffic with pathetic articles like that.

This turned up this afternoon. Can you tell what it is yet...?
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com\images\shard\TC7(1).JPG
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com/images/shard/TC7(2).JPG

anyone see the bullshit that's been posted on the msn website? of the 19 most "Ugly buildings"

the shard was affectionatly described as "a giant penis that's made an appearance at a very inopportune and unwelcome moment"

just pissed me off seeing this and though i should share :bleep:

Hmmmm, makes you think, how many sides does the writer's dick have??

ooooh! The cantilever section for the new tower crane - the one that will build the spire etc??

ooooh! The cantilever section for the new tower crane - the one that will build the spire etc??

That was too easy! Yep. 18 floors of crane all sitting on this. Hanging off the outside of the building!

ffinybryn I guess it's a part of TC7

So when's TC7 going in? The weekend?

Has the cantilever been fabricated specially for this project? Looks new.

So when's TC7 going in? The weekend?

Bespoke item from Yorkshire. Planned to go in tomorrow (Friday) with TC7 mast going up at the weekend (weather dependant).

Do we need to wait for the concrete floors to be complete before the spire can begin ffinybryn?

Bespoke item from Yorkshire. Planned to go in tomorrow (Friday) with TC7 mast going up at the weekend (weather dependant).

Thanks ffinybryn as always for your informative posts. :)

Bespoke item from Yorkshire.

Not the usual Preston's of Potto lorry. :sly:

Planned to go in tomorrow (Friday)

[checks weather forecast for Friday]

Rain! Grrr! :mad:

Some amazing skyline shots of Flickr :cheers:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/5839976842_7505b44676_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherwalmsley/5839976842/)
The Shard Towers Above (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherwalmsley/5839976842/) by christopherwalmsley (http://www.flickr.com/people/christopherwalmsley/), on Flickr

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/5839426731_e1ab20f24d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherwalmsley/5839426731/)
Londons Skyline (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherwalmsley/5839426731/) by christopherwalmsley (http://www.flickr.com/people/christopherwalmsley/), on Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/5839798615_0154910311_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/5839798615/)
View from Rotherhithe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/5839798615/) by sarflondondunc (http://www.flickr.com/people/sarflondondunc/), on Flickr

Love that second one. Banner material.

From Southwark with love...

http://jnn.i.jpgur.com/wcfku.jpg?size=3 (http://jnn.i.jpgur.com/wcfku.jpg)

Click for full-res

Can't tell whether they have just washed the aircraft warning lights or installed new brighter ones but they are definitely blazing much brighter than they used to.

New I suspect, noticed them from the end of the platforms at Stratford (yes, Stratford) earlier having never noticed them before.

This turned up this afternoon. Can you tell what it is yet...?
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com\images\shard\TC7(1).JPG
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com/images/shard/TC7(2).JPG

http://i52.************/erke2v.jpg

This noisy sod has been hovering around the Shard for the last 30 minutes
http://i54.************/15i1ete.jpg

Couple of aerial shots by Jason Hawkes -

...

http://yfrog.com/z/kinqpoj

I know it's been said a million times in this thread but, in that second pic the floor space outside of the core looks pretty small for such pricey apartments, and we're still a few floors short. The uppermost ones will be pretty compact and bijou.

(of course it could all be a trick of the aerial perspective)

That was too easy! Yep. 18 floors of crane all sitting on this. Hanging off the outside of the building!

I have to ask, what is the plan to get this crane down at the end?

As they say, Location Location Location

I know it's been said a million times in this thread but, in that second pic the floor space outside of the core looks pretty small for such pricey apartments, and we're still a few floors short. The uppermost ones will be pretty compact and bijou.

(of course it could all be a trick of the aerial perspective)
It's a trick of scale. Look at the builders for comparison - those floors are still at least 10m deep.

I know it's been said a million times in this thread but, in that second pic the floor space outside of the core looks pretty small for such pricey apartments, and we're still a few floors short. The uppermost ones will be pretty compact and bijou.

(of course it could all be a trick of the aerial perspective)
That's what I was thinking, I can imagine the top floor space to be similar to that of the Eiffel Tower. But I could be wrong.

I have to ask, what is the plan to get this crane down at the end?

Ive heard that they will be using a derrick crane, which will be a first in britain! Google Derrick crane if you are not sure what it is.
I cant wait to see it happen.

Well done London, can't wait to see this new icon first hand in two weeks!

As they say, Location Location Location

The location's not even that great. Just think how long it would take to pop to Spar, especially if the lifts are out of order!

I was thinking more in terms of vertical location, yea grounds not great through not bad for nipping into Burger King on the platform

I was hoping to see some signs of TC7 at lunch time, but to no avail, nor anything this evening :(

The weather was pretty poor - I got well and truly soaked by the rain on my bike this evening.

Anyhow, here's some pics from a late lunch walk, there's a few others from today to be found in my Shard Gallery (http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/v/architecture/london/shard/).

From Queen Elizabeth Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0002.jpg


North side TC looking rather stumpy

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0008.jpg


British Gypsum lorry in the Shard Holding Area on St Thomas Street, delivering a 'plaster and dry lining system' to site

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0013.jpg


Backpack TC with the steel frame on the roof coming along nicely

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0017.jpg


Holes in the glazing formerly occupied by the East side TC's super ties

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0023.jpg


Masonry above Gate 2

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0028.jpg


A ceiling to the outside triple height space on Joiner Street

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0032.jpg


Backpack roof steel

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0038.jpg

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0053.jpg


North side TC from the other side

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0044.jpg


Holes in the glazing plugged where the west side TC used to be tied

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0049.jpg


Not much of the core left visible now

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110617_0056.jpg

just a year ago the steel was just a few floors high and we were all in awe of how tall the 30 floor core was!

just a year ago the steel was just a few floors high and we were all in awe of how tall the 30 floor core was!

And this time next year, it'll be all over bar internal fit-out. :(

I was hoping to see some signs of TC7 at lunch time, but to no avail, nor anything this evening :(

The weather was pretty poor - I got well and truly soaked by the rain on my bike this evening.


Beaten by the weather. (Was to be expected). Other crane operations are ongoing this weekend.

@ nrm the 2nd - TC7 will eventually be taken down by decreasingly sized cranes.

Are they being delivered or taken away?
http://i54.************/euodfl.jpg

http://i53.************/2lcv7v7.jpg

I love the idea that they are delivering a bicycle to the Shard.

My first post has to go to the shard. This building is brilliant.. hopefully a few more on the way too. Its like London's very own (indoor) Eiffel tower!

How tall is the backpack?

How tall is the backpack?

17 concrete floors with 2 floors of steel grating for plant.

Any news updates in regards of TC7 ffinybryn?

^ So will TC7 go in this weekend, or has it now been shelved to next.

Keeping my eye on the webcams for that "jutty out" section :).

Just out of curiousity, will this building have a KFC inside.

Just out of curiousity, will this building have a KFC inside.

yes four.

:lol:

17 concrete floors with 2 floors of steel grating for plant.

Like the rest of the office space in The Shard, it's very definitely a steel frame, though the concrete core goes to level 17 if that's what you meant.

http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/d/111777-2/20101020_0023.jpg

http://www.cybertects.co.uk/gallery2/d/111414-2/20101007_0023.jpg

http://i52.************/2vvv1hi.jpg

Just a quick question, Is One Canada Square still listed as the tallest building until the Shard is complete or has it officially taken its claim already?

Just a quick question, Is One Canada Square still listed as the tallest building until the Shard is complete or has it officially taken its claim already?


officially the shard is the tallest building although one canada square is the tallest completed building.

Like the rest of the office space in The Shard, it's very definitely a steel frame, though the concrete core goes to level 17 if that's what you meant.

Apologies. I meant to say it's all steel frame around a concrete core. (I should know, I checked it). However, the floors themselves above level 17 will be steel mesh panelling rather than poured concrete... :nuts:

Can't see where the new crane ties above are being stored. maybe on the roof of the backpack?
I think the crane sections below were lowered from the north side crane yesterday.
http://i52.************/2ec3bb9.jpg

A flagstone quote in Angel Place from Dickens.
http://i53.************/35klobn.jpg

Hi all. This is my first post! :) I currently live 5 mins walk from the Shard site and have a couple of questions that I hope you guys may be able to answer for me.
Does anyone know the reasoning behind the backpack design? It doesn't seem to fit to me and feels a bit of an awkward add on.
Also the glazing. I think it looks AMAZING in cloudier conditions and at dawn/dusk it looks very dramatic. However in very bright/bold sunshine the panels are really emphasised and do not look as sleek (not that we have much sunshine at present!). I read a previous post on the international thread suggesting this was a result of the tinting. If the glazing was clear then it would 'sparkle' more?? Does anyone know about this?

Anyway, overall I love the building. It will be an icon for London for many years to come! And am getting really excited for the spire to be constructed!!:banana:

officially the shard is the tallest building although one canada square is the tallest completed building.

Is that right? The way I understood it was that for the sake of records, a building wasnt entered in the record books until officially complete, to prevent abandoned unfinished husks such as the Ryugyong hotel in Pyongyang qualifying as buildings even though they are unoccupied (yes I know that is now finally clad)

I think what you're seeing on the glazing is likely to be the construction dirt. Once it is cleaned it will have the sparkle and lustre you were hoping for :0) Someone posted a comparison picture a few pages back which should demonstrate.

I just moved house and I'm loving the view. I can see the whole panorama to CW :cheers:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5849508022_8a04aa17dc_b.jpg

I just moved house and I'm loving the view. I can see the whole panorama to CW :cheers:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5066/5849508022_8a04aa17dc_b.jpg

The Shard is on the left. I assume that must be somewhere in London. Maybe Archway or Highgate maybe?

^ That's taken from somewhere in south west London.

Hi all. This is my first post! :) I currently live 5 mins walk from the Shard site and have a couple of questions that I hope you guys may be able to answer for me.
Does anyone know the reasoning behind the backpack design? It doesn't seem to fit to me and feels a bit of an awkward add on.
Also the glazing. I think it looks AMAZING in cloudier conditions and at dawn/dusk it looks very dramatic. However in very bright/bold sunshine the panels are really emphasised and do not look as sleek (not that we have much sunshine at present!). I read a previous post on the international thread suggesting this was a result of the tinting. If the glazing was clear then it would 'sparkle' more?? Does anyone know about this?

Anyway, overall I love the building. It will be an icon for London for many years to come! And am getting really excited for the spire to be constructed!!:banana:

The Shard needs a certain amount of commercial (office) floorspace to be commercially viable. To incorporate this floorspace within a constrained site, a 'backpack' was considered the best solution. Its attractive for tenants as the floorplates are rectangular, and it doesn't make much of an impact to the overall shape of the tower when viewed from most angles and locations.

Thanks for the explanation! :)

^ That's taken from somewhere in south west London.

Correct SW19

The Shard is on the left.

:nuts:

https://idisk.mac.com/markadams999//Public/PIX/shardx2b.jpg

:nuts:

His screen must of been upside down.

Sorry if this has been asked before but when it rains heavily as a result of the shape will water just cascade off the bottom?

His screen must of been upside down.

@scraperfan89 - couldn't resist :)

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/19349_258213973618_258207478618_4314602_6918609_n.jpg

This turned up this afternoon. Can you tell what it is yet...?
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com\images\shard\TC7(1).JPG
http://www.engineeringsurveyor.com/images/shard/TC7(2).JPG

This is being lifted up now by the middle crane

EDIT: False alarm, sorry, just something that looked similar, dunno what.

http://i51.************/2vd0947.jpg

http://i54.************/furjua.jpg

http://i52.************/or1qth.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/madmax123/20062011250-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/madmax123/20062011251-1.jpg

Shot taken by me on Saturday from Millennium Bridge.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3378.jpg

wow, that new crane that's getting built looks scray i wouldn't like to be the one using that :) how else will it be supported?

My favourite angle there, Southwark Cathedral under a waterfall of glass.

wow, that new crane that's getting built looks scray i wouldn't like to be the one using that :) how else will it be supported?

With these, crane ties.
Are they being delivered or taken away?
http://i54.************/euodfl.jpg

Does anyone have a layout of the hotel floor space ?

Sorry if it has already been posted

I know that they are using the crane in the core to construct TC7 but how will they take TC7 down when it has erected the final steel sections? Sorry but it is baffling me somewhat.

I know that they are using the crane in the core to construct TC7 but how will they take TC7 down when it has erected the final steel sections? Sorry but it is baffling me somewhat.

They use increasingly smaller cranes to dismantle the previous crane till they get to a point that the final crane can be put in the pocket of the crane operator and he takes the lift down and goes home. The final crane is made of Lego.

Sorry, couldn't resist. But I've been wondering the same thing.

So im guessing this new crane being attached is the one that's going to help build the spire.

My favourite angle there, Southwark Cathedral under a waterfall of glass.

That's a really nice way of putting it- old and new always look great together!

christ - that's a jazzy new crane pedestal......safety pants required for Mr Crane Driver.

Grabbed a snap on my way to work this morning.

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110621_0002.jpg


with a 100% crop for detail

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/cybertects/Shard/20110621_0002-crop.jpg

Hope it's secure!
http://i51.************/el4j9z.jpg

http://i52.************/1zgqgea.jpg

balls of steel, that's for sure.

A few more pics.

From Millennium Bridge.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3379.jpg

From a side entrance to Guys Hospital.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3388.jpg

From Guys Tower. The observation room was shut when I went up there but got a view of a bit of the Shard.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3389.jpg

From London Bridge. Now dwarfs Guys Tower.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3391.jpg

Why does there need to be a ladder *up* to the TC cantilever? Surely the TC operator can take the regular hoist to that level and then cross a footbridge to the base of the crane?

Murphyz on Flickr:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/5851932345_e0f6dafff0_o.jpg

stunning picture

Yes very stunning and well composed picture. Great work.

Taken by me from London Bridge Station.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3385.jpg

Dont Look Up. Lol.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3386.jpg

Looks good in overcast weather...

Thanks. I think overcast makes things look more scenic. Another pic I took from nearby. The Shard will look a bit lonely as it is isolated from the other tall London buildings but that will probably be a good thing as it will be the only real tall building dominating Bankside. Most other tall buildings in London are in the Bank and Canary Wharf area. I think one 20 storey building near The Eye was built in 1957 so that may have been London's first skyscraper. Compared to today a 20 storey building in London in 1957 was a skyscraper.

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp92/benny1982/DSCN3382.jpg

Nice shot, yeah I also like the way it dominates standing alone. What exactly was londons first skyscraper..? Centre point? T42?