Corrosion Problems at Beijing Birds Nest

The European Venue Management Institute (EVMI) has revealed that less than a year since it was unveiled to the world as the centre-piece of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the iconic Birds Nest stadium is suffering from serious corrosion and rust damage.

The EVMI has referred to unconfirmed reports the stadium's main steel structure (which includes over 45,000 tonnes of steel) is in need of urgent attention. EVMI was informed that a team of European-based structural engineers were called on-site last week.

The stadium has hosted just one major event since the Olympics last August and, without a regular calendar of events, there are unlikely to be the revenues coming in that are required for the maintenance of such a complicated structure.

Last year, welding expert Ed Craig observed (from afar) how welding of the stadium's superstructure was below standard and speculated on the structural risks that were apparent, stating "in 2008, the Chinese miraculously developed a method in which a project with 1,100, $10-a-day 'manual welders' with all their human inconsistencies and obvious lack of process control training, manage to achieve a 100% weld pass rate! What a load of bull..."

EVMI added that the stadium's operator, CITIC, which has a 30 year operating licence, did not respond to requests for further information.

Images: Fireworks explode over the ‘birds nest’ National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Credit: Shutterstock.