Bracetown Hub A01, Co. Westmeath

This project deserves to win because Ryan Structural Steel created a scalable system of template-based cutting, precision bracketry, and modular fixings that could ensure alignment, air and water sealing, and structural stability across complex façade geometries.

The ambition was to enable tight construction tolerances while also allowing for differential thermal movement between the dissimilar materials of steel, glass, and composite cladding. Civil Engineering: The project is rooted in the discipline of civil engineering, addressing critical challenges at the intersection of structural assembly and regulatory fire compliance.

In conventional construction, the interface between structural steel members and cladding systems is typically resolved using continuous steel penetration and standard fixing techniques.

Structural Engineering: In the domain of structural engineering, the project focused on the development and validation of slotted hole and bolt configurations that permit controlled steel expansion during fire exposure without compromising the structural capacity or load path continuity of the members.

Traditional detailing often assumes rigid, fixed connections between steel and panel systems, which becomes problematic under thermal stress conditions.