Abstract
This monument was completed in March 2000. It was erected to commemorate the opening of Shimizu Port 100 years ago. A simple design was required which could become a durable and easily recognizable landmark. A form derived from reference to a Japanese legend "Hagoromo" was used. Three curved, twisted triangular prisms are arranged in a tripod configuration, joined at 12m above ground level. The overall height is 20m. Aluminium production and fabrication has been one of the principal local industries in Shimizu for many years. For this reason it was decided to make the monument in aluminium. Each prism comprises aluminium plates formed by pressing and welding into triangular planes. The use of triangles allows the resulting surfaces to follow the complex geometry of each prism. Plate thicknesses vary from 10 to 20mm. Since aluminium did not have general approval for use as a structural material in Japan, at the time a special application was required to the Building Center. In order to verify the stability of the frame and confirm the stresses in each plate a detailed finite element analysis was performed. The analysis considered complex typhoon load on each prism from various directions.
