Commonwealth Games map showcases engineering marvels
A special Ordnance Survey map which showcases Glasgow’s infrastructure works ahead of the Commonwealth Games – including civil engineering firsts such as the Hampden Park surface raising, which lifted the surface six feet on metal stilts to accommodate the running track and athletics field – has been officially launched in the host city.
The ‘Engineering the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games’ map produced by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in collaboration with Ordnance Survey, was launched on 12 June 2014 by Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess.
The map will be hosted by Education Scotland on their Game on Scotland website (www.gameonscotland.org), so primary and secondary school students can learn about the vital role of civil engineers in delivering major sporting events like the Commonwealth Games – not just in building or converting the venues, but ensuring the Glasgow’s water, waste, energy and transport networks can accommodate the extra one million visitors anticipated.
Launching the map during Legacy Week – a partnership between the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow 2014, which highlights a range of projects connected to the Games and encourages people to get involved – reiterates the value of utilising this exciting new infrastructure to encourage young engineers into a profession, which has long been synonymous with Scotland.
Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess said: “The Commonwealth Games will be the biggest sporting and cultural event Scotland has hosted, however, it’s about more than just sport. As this project demonstrates, the Games will provide a lasting legacy for several industries, and it is great that they are also being used to inspire young people into careers such as civil engineering.
“The engineering element of delivering the infrastructure to host an event of this scale has been remarkable and I am also delighted to see the creation of 700 new homes in the impressive new low-carbon athletes village, which will be the hub of a new, revitalised east end area.”
Dom Cuthbert, Ordnance Survey Public Sector Manager for Scotland, added: “Some people say that a picture paints a thousand words, but at Ordnance Survey we believe a map says much more. The new Ordnance Survey Commonwealth Games map gives an accurate and highly detailed representation of the venues and their surrounding area, highlighting the true scale of the event. Over the last year surveyors from Ordnance Survey have been capturing the changing landscape surrounding all the venues and this accurate geographic data has been used to create the Commonwealth Games map.”
Speaking about the new resource, ICE Scotland Director, Sara Thiam said: “We discovered many engineering innovations while conducting our research. The Games have provided a fantastic showcase of engineering talent in Scotland and we hope the map will be an excellent tool for schools to encourage the next generation of engineers.”
The map also features stories about the creation of new venues such as the Hydro, Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Veledrome and highlights important civil engineering works such as flooding management and waste treatment.
The map will be available as a teaching resource for primary and secondary schools across Scotland and the UK, as well as being made available to the general public through Visit Scotland, libraries and museums.
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