Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Simplified.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects

    Birmingham stadium brick chimneys: structural and services notes for engineers

    November 21, 2025|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Birmingham stadium brick chimneys: structural and services notes for engineers

    First reported on The Construction Index

    30 Second Briefing

    A £1.2bn, 62,000-seat Birmingham City FC stadium is proposed for Bordesley Green, with a bowl structure encircled by 12 brick chimney towers rising 120 m to support the roof and house lifts, stairs and ventilation. Designs by Heatherwick Studio, Steven Knight and Manica Architecture include a retractable roof and moveable pitch to switch between football, other sports and concerts, plus a chimney-top bar at the city’s highest level. Consultation runs ahead of a 2026 planning application, targeting completion for the 2030–31 season.

    Technical Brief

    • Twelve 120 m-high brick chimney towers double as primary roof-supporting structural elements.
    • Chimneys are designed as multi-functional cores, housing vertical circulation (lifts, stairs) and services.
    • Ventilation strategy relies partly on chimney shafts, implying stack-effect driven natural or hybrid ventilation.
    • One chimney is configured to contain a dedicated lift to a rooftop bar at city-highest elevation.
    • Bowl stadium form is constrained within the chimney ring, influencing lateral load paths and roof geometry.
    • Site selection at Bordesley Green overlays former brickworks, tying architectural expression to brownfield heritage.
    • Design team combines Heatherwick Studio, Steven Knight and Manica Architecture, bringing Olympic and Wembley experience.
    • Programme assumes consultation now, planning submission in 2026 and construction completion by summer 2030.

    Our Take

    At a projected £1.2bn, the Birmingham City stadium sits at the very top end of UK sports infrastructure schemes in our database, which will sharpen scrutiny on value-for-money elements such as multi-use programming and non-matchday revenue to justify the capex.

    The 120 m brick chimney towers proposed by Heatherwick Studio and Manica Architecture push this scheme into the tall-structure planning regime for Birmingham, implying more intensive wind, fire, and evacuation modelling than typical bowl-only stadium projects in the West Midlands.

    With planning not targeted until 2026 and completion aimed for 2030, the programme spans at least one full UK political cycle, so Birmingham City and Knighthead Capital will likely need to build in contingencies for changing planning policy, building regulations, and stadium safety standards over the delivery window.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Sydney Metro Stations Package West: design and delivery notes for engineers
    Infrastructure
    in 4 months

    Sydney Metro Stations Package West: design and delivery notes for engineers

    Gamuda Engineering has secured the Sydney Metro Stations Package West as principal contractor, covering design and construction of five new underground stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays on the 24km Sydney Metro West line between Greater Parramatta and the CBD. The scope includes deep station boxes, entrances and access points, full station fit-out and integration with surrounding precincts, with Laing O’Rourke and DT Infrastructure joining as MetroVista delivery partners. Site works are scheduled to start on Monday, 5 January 2026.

    Nottingham Forest City Ground expansion: design and crowd-flow notes for engineers
    Infrastructure
    about 9 hours ago

    Nottingham Forest City Ground expansion: design and crowd-flow notes for engineers

    Nottingham Forest has submitted new plans to expand the City Ground from 30,445 to about 52,000 seats, replacing last year’s approved but smaller 35,000-capacity scheme focused on rebuilding the Peter Taylor Stand. The revised project team is led by KSS Design Group, with Buro Happold, Gleeds and Savills advising, and owner Evangelos Marinakis committing “significant investment” for a “sustainable and iconic” redevelopment. For civil and structural engineers, the jump to a 52,000-seat bowl signals substantially larger crowd loading, egress, services and transport interface requirements on an already constrained riverside site.

    TH White joins Sany network: fleet support implications for UK plant owners
    Infrastructure
    about 10 hours ago

    TH White joins Sany network: fleet support implications for UK plant owners

    TH White has been appointed authorised Sany Heavy Machinery UK dealer for construction machinery sales, service and parts across the West Midlands and parts of the southwest, replacing Worcester-based forklift specialist MSM DRH after five years. The move plugs Sany’s excavators and other construction machines into TH White’s existing portfolio of Manitou, Mecalac and New Holland equipment plus Palfinger cranes, giving contractors a single supplier for mixed fleets. For plant owners, the key change is access to Sany support through TH White’s established construction-focused sales and service teams.

    Related Industries & Products

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    QCDB-io

    Comprehensive quality control database for manufacturing, tunnelling, and civil construction with UCS testing, PSD analysis, and grout mix design management.

    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy